Aston Villa and Watford are reportedly hopeful of signing Chelsea captain Gary Cahill on a free transfer next summer.
Cahill is currently in the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge and has fallen down the pecking order under new boss Maurizio Sarri, failing to make a single appearance for the club so far this season.
The 32-year-old is widely expected to end a seven-year stay with Chelsea when his contract does expire, and French outlet La Gazette des Transferts reports that Villa and Watford are among the clubs eager to snap him up.
Cahill came through the ranks at Villa, joining the club as a youth player in 2000 and going on to make 31 senior appearances for the club before leaving for Bolton Wanderers in 2008.
Villa signed previous Chelsea skipper John Terry on a free transfer at the end of the 2016-17 campaign, and manager Steve Bruce is open to the idea of a similar deal being struck for Cahill.
However, the Championship outfit could face competition from Watford, who are understood to view Cahill as an ideal replacement for Miguel Britos and Younes Kaboul, both of whom are also out of contract next summer.
The report also claims that European clubs such as Marseille, Bordeaux and Sevilla are monitoring Cahill's situation, and they would be free to open talks with Cahill in January.
Barney Corkhill
