The Blues have been building relationships in Asia, particularly in India, and are tempted by the fact that the country boasts a population of approximately 450 million people under the age of 25. The opportunities could be endless for the club from Stamford Bridge, who also have a football academy in Abu Dhabi.

Just last week, Bayern Munich played a game against a local Calcutta side, Mohun Bagan, in front of 120,000 fans, and it was a raging success.

The Bharti Group in conjunction with All India Football Federation (AIFF) have been looking at top European clubs to set up football academies in India, with Chelsea believed to be the front-runner. Hemant Sachdev, the marketing director of Bharti Enterprises said, "We have been approached by some of the best institutions in football from all parts of the world and are in process of firming up the right model and partners for the project."

"Consumers and viewers have proved that they have a great appetite for competitive sports. For Bharti, the project is an attempt to build a high quality football team, among the talent that is available across the country," Sachdev told The Economic Times.

The association between club and country would produce enormous income for the club in question and also increase their profile in India, which is rapidly becoming a frenzied sporting arena.