Chelsea face being frozen out in the battle for Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri.
The Mirror says Chelsea are aware of his £36m release clause and Seri, who almost joined Barcelona last summer, is supposedly keen on a deal.
But the Ivory Coast international may end up heading to Manchester if Pep Guardiola gets his way.
City are preparing to trigger Seri's release clause after hitting a hurdle chasing another transfer target.
The Premier League champions have turned their attention to Nice's star man after seeing a £60m bid for Jorginho rejected by Napoli.