Chelsea have had an offer worth more than £42m for English winger Jamie Gittens rejected by Borussia Dortmund.
The 20-year-old already has a seven-year contract on the table and is thought to be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge.
But the two clubs are struggling to meet in the middle on their valuation despite the England Under-21s international not fitting into the system of manager Niko Kovac, who joined the German club in February.
The latest rejection casts doubt over whether Gittens will join Chelsea in time to take part in the Club World Cup, with a first transfer deadline for the competition approaching on Tuesday evening.
Chelsea have not ruled out further approaches for Gittens after the deadline, but also have interest in Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus.
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