Everton have rejected Chelsea’s initial approach to sign Anthony Gordon.
Gordon previously attracted interest from Newcastle United and Tottenham earlier this summer following a breakthrough year for Frank Lampard’s side.
The west Londoners now join their Premier League counterparts in attempting to prise the winger away from Goodison Park with a tentative £40 million bid.
However the Goodison Park hierarchy rebuffed the offer for Gordon out of hand and are understood to be unwilling to sell their latest homegrown talent.
Chelsea could accelerate their pursuit of the 21-year-old by offering some of the players that the Blues have shown an interest in signing this summer.
They include 20-year-old striker Armando Broja, who spent the previous campaign on loan with Southampton, and young midfielder Billy Gilmour.
Lampard admitted after Saturday’s defeat at Aston Villa that the forward line position was one of the areas that Everton were ‘looking at to improve’.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is currently facing up to a month on the sidelines with a knee injury sustained ahead of Chelsea’s opening day visit to Goodison.