Chelsea Transfer News: Italian Club Targets Portuguese Midfielder - Report

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Italian Serie A club Juventus are considering an approach for Chelsea's Portuguese midfielder, Raul Meireles.

Juventus are second in the Italian league at the moment, four points behind rivals AC Milan. More importantly, they have now all but confirmed their participation in next season's Champions League... a tournament that has not seen the Old Lady from Turin for quite some time now.

Meireles, 29, transferred to the Blues, from league rivals Liverpool, on deadline day in August 2011, following an unsuccessful Chelsea bid to land Spurs' midfielder Luka Modric. The transfer fee was reported to be in the region of £12m and the player signed a four-year contract.

The Portuguese has enjoyed a reasonable first season with the club but given the large-scale overhaul widely expected at Stamford Bridge in the summer, Chelsea may be open to the idea of him moving on.

The Italians, meanwhile, are in the midst of a re-building project themselves, as they prepare for European football next season. They have also been linked to Chelsea's Michael Essien and Arsenal's Alex Song, as well as a move for Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain.