Chelsea will reportedly be rivalled by Newcastle United in their pursuit of Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen.
The Blues were believed to be keen to sign a new centre-back in the January window following injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile.
They were linked with a move for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, while they reportedly failed with an approach for Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo.
As it proved, Chelsea opted to exercise their option to recall Trevoh Chalobah from his season-long loan spell at Palace.
However, the West London club are likely to reignite their search for a new central defender in the summer transfer window.
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Chelsea facing Huijsen competition
While they are still believed to be interested in Guehi and Murillo, they have also been linked with a potential move for Bournemouth's Huijsen.
A recent report claimed that Chelsea are keeping close tabs on the 19-year-old, but they are also being rivalled by Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.
According to The Mirror, Chelsea are also facing further competition from Newcastle, who are one of several clubs keen on signing the highly-rated defender.
The Magpies have been admirers of Huijsen since being impressed by his performances during a loan spell with Roma last season.
Newcastle were said to be considering Huijsen as an alternative to Guehi in the summer after they failed with numerous attempts to sign the Palace centre-back.
The report also reiterates Bayern's interest in the Spain Under-21 international, meaning Chelsea have a fight on their hands to secure his signature, especially as Real Madrid have also been mentioned as a potential suitor.
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Why is Huijsen attracting signicant interest?
Huijsen returned to his parent club Juventus in the summer after he spent the second half of last season on loan at a fellow Serie A side.
The defender went on to complete £12.8m to Bournemouth, signing a long-term contract until 2030 upon his arrival at the Vitality Stadium.
Huijsen spent the opening few months of the season as Bournemouth's third-choice centre-back, before being given a run in the side in the injury absence of Marcos Senesi.
The teenager has gone on to make 11 consecutive Premier League starts, forming a formidable central defensive partnership with Ilya Zabarnyi.
Huijsen helped Andoni Iraola's side embark on an 11-game unbeaten league run until their undefeated streak was ended in last Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.
