Chelsea have told Queens Park Rangers to increase their opening offer for the Brazilian defender Alex.

QPR's initial bid is reported to have been worth £3m, but Chelsea are hoping for more for the 29-year-old, who they claim they had no intention of selling before he submitted a transfer request.

Chelsea's manager André Villas-Boas said: "From what I know from my chief executive, there has been an approach from a Premier League club. We have respected Alex's transfer request so the market's open for him.

"We're just trying to reach the level of proposal we think is good for the player. Nothing has happened up to now, but we'll listen to all offers. We'll present anything to the player. He has to make a decision. He has generated interest from a lot of clubs."

Hughes told a press conference after taking over at QPR: "I'm always a little wary about talking about players and names, but there's interest in top-quality players, certainly. The one you mentioned [Alex] is very much in that level and we would hope to bring that quality of player to the club if that's possible."

Alex, who was banished from Chelsea's first-team squad along with Nicolas Anelka after both submitted transfer requests, has previously been linked with Juventus and Paris St-Germain. He also recently revealed he would consider a return to Santos in his native Brazil.