Chelsea explored the possibility of signing Renato Sanches as a free agent this summer, according to a report from French outlet Foot Mercato.
The west London club had been actively searching for midfield reinforcements after allowing Enzo Fernandez to join Manchester City on deadline day.
Chelsea were unable to find a suitable replacement for the Argentine before the transfer window closed, leaving a clear gap in their midfield options.
The club did bring in Jordan Henderson to add depth following Andrey Santos’ move to Manchester United, but their options in the engine room remain limited.
Xabi Alonso currently has Moisés Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo, and Henderson as specialist options for the deeper midfield roles this season.
Caicedo has been sidelined through injury, while Lavia has a well-documented history of fitness issues, and Essugo also struggled with physical problems throughout last term.
Alonso has even had to use right-backs Reece James and Malo Gusto in midfield roles to compensate for the lack of available options in that area.
Foot Mercato report that Chelsea came close to signing Lamine Camara from AS Monaco but were blocked at the last minute by the Ligue 1 club.
The Blues also held talks over a move for Georginio Wijnaldum, though those hopes were ended when the midfielder signed for Al-Ittihad.
Sanches was subsequently added to Chelsea’s shortlist of free agent options, though the club ultimately decided against pursuing a deal.
The 29-year-old first rose to global prominence with Portugal during their triumphant UEFA European Championship campaign in 2016, earning a reputation as one of the game’s most exciting young midfielders.
Despite those early promises, Sanches has struggled to fulfill that potential and is currently without a club following the expiry of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.
The Portuguese midfielder is capable of operating as a box-to-box midfielder or in a more defensive role, giving managers flexibility in how they deploy him.
Sanches also has experience of English football from his loan spell at Swansea City, which would have eased any potential adaptation to the Premier League.
His previous clubs include Bayern Munich, where he spent time before his career took a difficult path marked by loan moves and injury setbacks.
Chelsea instead opted to keep faith in their existing midfield options rather than bring in the experienced but out-of-contract Sanches on a free transfer.