Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri was eager to bring Denis Suarez back to England this summer.
Cadena Cope says Chelsea made an attempt to sign the Barcelona midfielder on recommendation of Sarri. The Italian had also wanted to work with Denis when in charge of Napoli.
In the end, Denis chose to stay with Barca, where he has a deal to 2020.
The midfielder has previous experience in England with Manchester City's academy.