Chelsea are almost about clinching a deal to take Philippe Coutinho to Stamford Bridge but Barcelona insist that one clause must be inserted into the contract.
Barcelona would prefer to sell the 27-year-old this summer but their £80million valuation is unlikely to be met.
Therefore, they would reluctantly accept a loan deal similar to what Bayern Munich have in place this season.
However, Coutinho has failed to light up the Allianz Arena and the German outfit are not wanting to make the transfer permanent.
That means the Brazilian could be offloaded to the Premier League, where Spanish publication Sport claim Frank Lampard's side are leading the race.
Chelsea would have to cover Coutinho's £11.5m annual salary to take the playmaker on loan for 12 months.
However, Sport claim the Catalan giants will demand a mandatory purchase clause if inserted into the deal.
SEE ALSO | Fabregas Picks His Top Two Managers But Shockingly Snubs Guardiola
Barca will apparently reduce their price tag to £53m if the Blues side agree to buy Coutinho at the end of next season.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 years ago