Chelsea made a record bid for a defender for Kalidou Koulibaly, but it was still not enough for Napoli.
Mediaset says Chelsea's final offer for Koulibaly was a stunning €58 million, but was returned to sender by Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis.
De Laurentiis now plans to upgrade the defender's contract once the transfer window shuts.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have since turned to PSG defender David Luiz.
Luiz is due in London within the hour for a Chelsea medical.