Chelsea looking into move for Everton defender

Chelsea are reportedly looking into a deal to sign Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite at the end of the season.

The Blues have had another below-par league campaign and they are currently languishing in the bottom half of the standings.

This is expected to pave the way for a spending spree and reports claim that Branthwaite is one of the top targets on the Blues' summer wishlist.

The centre-back spent the previous season on loan with PSV Eindhoven where he made drastic improvement. He is now a mainstay in the Toffees' starting line-up.

Everton are braced for his departure at the end of the campaign, but they are unlikely to sanction his sale on the cheap.

They are set to demand at least 60 million pounds for the highly-rated star, who is also on the radar of Manchester United.

Real Madrid have also been linked with the youngster, though they have identified Lille's Leny Yoro as their priority target for the summer.