Chelsea interested in Bayer Leverkusen defender

Chelsea are reportedly planning a winter attempt to sign highly-rated German defender Benjamin Henrichs from Bayer Leverkusen.

The 21-year-old has rose to prominence over the past couple of seasons and his performances have been rewarded with a handful of caps with the German national side.

According to The Sun, the Blues are looking into a move for the versatile defender whose existing contract is said to possess a release clause of £31m.

Antonio Conte's future remains uncertain beyond the current campaign but the west London club are prepared to push through a deal regardless of whether the Italian stays or not.

Henrichs has primarily featured on the right side of the field but he is also capable of slotting into a central defensive role which appears to have caught the Blues' attention.

The German has been with Leverkusen since the age of eight and he has managed a total of 74 appearances across all competitions since making his first-team debut in 2015.