• England centre-half fears he may be at ‘crossroads of his career’ • Blues move for young United States defender Matt Miazga

Gary Cahill is unlikely to be permitted to leave Chelsea this month despite apparently growing frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities and with the club edging closer to securing the United States defender Matt Miazga.

Miazga, 20, has entered the last year of his contract with New York Red Bulls and has made known his desire to continue his development in Europe. Chelsea are expected to pay around £2m and the centre-half has been granted permission to leave the national team’s training camp to travel to London for a medical.

Alexandre Pato ‘so happy’ to be joining Chelsea after arriving in London Read more

The 6ft 4in defender, who has been a regular in the US junior sides, has a Polish passport and will therefore not require a work permit. He would be considered a player for the future, despite apparently receiving assurances he will not immediately be shipped out on loan. Alexandre Pato, who arrived at Heathrow on Wednesday lunchtime, had his Chelsea medical before signing a six-month loan deal from Corinthians.

The midfielder Ramires has joined the Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning for an initial £20m, which could rise as high as £25m, and Chelsea may bring in a midfielder before the cut-off.

Ramires signed a new contract in October and Cahill a fresh four-year deal last month. The defender is understood to have been unnerved by his lack of first-team opportunities over recent weeks, particularly regarding Euro 2016. He has appeared only twice since Guus Hiddink was appointed interim manager, having fallen behind Kurt Zouma in the pecking order at centre-back.

A source close to Cahill, a £7m signing from Bolton four years ago, told Reuters the 30-year-old considered himself to be “at the crossroads of his career”.

Yet Chelsea are unlikely to seek to sell the England vice-captain before the transfer window closes on Monday given the lack of time remaining to recruit a replacement.

It may leave Cahill on the fringes for the rest of the season while Chris Smalling and John Stones press their claims to be England’s first-choice centre-back partnership in France by playing regularly.