Chelsea are weighing up a January bid to try to hijack Liverpool and Arsenal's interest in Monaco star Thomas Lemar as the club consider ways of increasing head coach Antonio Conte's options.

Arsenal and Liverpool both failed with offers for Lemar during the summer, with the Reds ready to revive their interest in the New Year.

But Telegraph Sport can reveal that Chelsea hold a strong and genuine interest in Lemar, and are seriously considering making a bid of their own.

The Blues would have to break their transfer record, which stands at £57 million for Alvaro Morata, to land Lemar who is valued at £80m.

Chelsea have the advantage over Arsenal and Liverpool of being able to offer players, either on loan or permanaently, to Monaco in the other direction. And the Blues will hope that Michael Emenalo's switch to Monaco as the French club's sporting director could give them a boost if they go ahead with a move for 22-year-old Lemar.

Monaco were adamant they would not sell Lemar in the summer, but the club are out of Europe and trail Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain ny nine points. They are planning an overhaul of their first-team squad and Academy, which means Lemar is expected be sold to the highest bidder, either in January or next summer, to help finance that.