Chelsea have made contact with Manchester City over a deal for England winger Raheem Sterling.
Both clubs share confidence that a deal can be done and a formal bid is expected from Chelsea in the near future.
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly, who bought the club as part of a consortium along with Clearlake Capital earlier this summer, is involved in the negotiations and in contact with City to understand what fee they would demand for Sterling.
The 27-year-old is into the final 12 months of his current deal at the Etihad and is open to the prospect of a move to Chelsea, although he is currently weighing up his options.
Manchester City will want to hold out for a significant fee for Sterling after banking £45m by agreeing to sell Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal, who also has one year to run on his contract.
Chelsea want to strengthen their forward line this summer and Sterling has emerged as a leading target for manager Thomas Tuchel.
The club have already agreed to loan out striker Romelu Lukaku, who is closing in on a return to Inter Milan.
