Zenit St Petersburg have raised the stakes in their pursuit of Chelsea defender Alex.
The Daily Mail says Chelsea have been offered Zenit St Petersburg defender Bruno Alves in a swap deal for Alex - but the Russians' initial bid to lure the Brazil centre back has been rejected.
Zenit manager Luciano Spalletti contacted Chelsea about the 28-year-old last week.
Alex has fallen down the pecking order after David Luiz's £25million transfer from Benfica in January. Zenit are prepared to include cash, as well as Alves, in their attempts to sign Alex.
It's kicking off again! Click here for your No1 source for Chelsea transfer market news and gossip.