Chelsea are preparing an £8 million bid for Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill.

The Daily Mail says Chelsea will move to sign Gary Cahill in January after Andre Villas-Boas identified the England international as the man he wants to bolster his side's shaky back four.

The depreciation of Cahill's contract means he will be available for a significantly reduced fee in January and Chelsea would hope to do business with a bid of between £7m and £8m.

Villas-Boas has been alarmed by the number of goals Chelsea have conceded already this season and they have only kept two clean sheets in the Barclays Premier League.