Chelsea linked with Nicolas N’Koulou

French daily newspaper L’Equipe has suggested that Chelsea are considering a January bid for Marseille stopper Nicolas N’Koulou.

The Cameroon star was on the verge of joining Lyon this summer, but the Ligue 1 rivals ultimately failed to agree on a transfer fee.

And it has now been reported that N’Koulou was offered to Chelsea in the summer transfer window for a fee believed to be between €8m and €10m.

The Blues are thought to be interested in the highly rated defender, but they hope to sign him on a cut-price deal in January due to the fact that his contract is due to expire at the end of the season.

Nicolas N’Koulou joined Marseille from Monaco four years ago and went on to make 134 Ligue 1 appearances, scoring 5 goals.

The 25-year-old now appears to be nearing Stade Velodrome exit and OM chiefs would probably prefer seeing their star player leave France altogether rather than join one of their rivals.