Chelsea are weighing up a £20m bid for Manchester City centre-back John Stones, according to reports in the English media.

The Blues were first linked with a move for the England international last month and it appears as though manager Frank Lampard is willing to chance his arm with a lowball offer for the defender.

Stones is quite a way down the pecking order after Nathan Ake’s arrival from Bournemouth but it is still unlikely that the Citizens will be willing to part with the 26-year-old for such a low figure.

Chelsea can hardly plead poverty, after having already spent the best part of £90m on Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner this summer, while they are also believed to be locked in negotiations to sign Kai Havertz for another £90m.

City will not stand in Stones’ way if a decent offer comes in for the player but the Manchester club will be looking for a fee closer to the £50m they paid Everton four years ago.