Sevilla have decided to drop their asking price for centre-half Jules Kounde by as much as €30m (£25.5m), according to ESPN.
The France international is a key target for Chelsea but the London club were unable to agree a fee for the defender last summer with Sevilla holding out for his €80m (£68m) release clause.
However, it is now believed that Kounde will be available for between €50m (£42.6m) and €60m (£51m), which is a significant reduction in his valuation.
While ESPN report that a transfer in the summer is still more likely than in the January transfer window, it does appear that the move will go ahead sooner than later, barring any other hitches.
Manager Thomas Tuchel is said to be a fan of Kounde’s, while the player himself is very keen on a switch to Stamford Bridge, having already agreed a contract when the transfer looked likely back in August.