Chelsea are making a late bid to trump Inter Milan for Fluminense defender Thiago Silva.

The Daily Mail says the Italians were expecting to finalise a pre-contract agreement for the Brazilian defender at the weekend but late interest from another club - believed to be Chelsea - has put the deal on hold.

The 24-year-old is widely considered the best centre-back in the Brazilian league and his contract with Fluminense expires at the end of the current season in December.

Chelsea are understood to have initially shown interest in September after watching Silva pick up a bronze medal with his country at the Olympics in August.

Stamford Bridge boss Luiz Felipe Scolari is short of options in the centre of defence with first-choice centre-backs John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho both spending time on the treatment table already this season.