Chelsea and Tottenham are chasing Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill.

The London Evening Standard says centre-half Cahill, who was rated at £15million by Bolton in the summer, is in the final year of his contract but wants to leave in January with Manchester City also in the hunt for the England international.

In August, Spurs had a deadline-day bid rejected for Cahill and hope to lure him to White Hart Lane with the promise of regular first-team football, something he would not necessarily be guaranteed at Chelsea or Manchester City.

Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas is keen to bolster his defence, having kept just two Premier League clean sheets this season and wants to sign an Englishman to partner John Terry and eventually replace him.

But City are in pole position given their financial clout and tempt Cahill to move to the Etihad Stadium with a more lucrative contract.