Chelsea fear they will lose highly-rated teenager Dominic Solanke after reaching an impasse over a new deal.

Solanke, 18, has one year left on the contract he signed in September 2014 and has so far rejected the club's efforts to agree a new one.

Chelsea have reacted by preparing a move for Fulham's 19-year-old striker Moussa Dembele, who will be at the end of his contract in June.

Solanke is currently on loan at Vitesse Arnhem and his contract expires at the end of next season

Dembele will be free to move where he chooses at the end of his deal, although a youth development compensation fee would have to be agreed between the London clubs or set by a tribunal.

It will be a bitter blow if Chelsea are to lose Solanke, long since identified as one of the academy products capable of bridging the void into the first-team.

Jose Mourinho once offered to shoulder the blame if he did not go on to play for England at senior level.

Solanke joined the club in the Under-8s but he and his family have grown concerned by the lack of opportunities for young players at Stamford Bridge.

He made his first-team debut last season in the Champions League against Maribor but has spent this campaign on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, in Holland, where he has scored seven goals in 24 appearances.

Solanke's family are worried about the lack of first team opportunities for youngsters at Stamford Bridge

It is part of a worrying trend for Chelsea and one which technical director Michael Emenalo is determined to address.

Emenalo's academy has consistently produced exciting players at 17 and 18 in recent years – and won many trophies - but establishing a pathway into the first-team has proved difficult.

The reasons are varied but the impact has become tangible with growing discontent in the development ranks, where young players see Hector Bellerin given the chance at Arsenal, Jordan Ibe at Liverpool and Dele Alli at Tottenham.

Ola Aina, a 19-year-old defender, has rejected all offers of a new contract and is set to leave Chelsea at the end of this season, which has prompted a scramble of interest from clubs across Europe.

Arsenal and Liverpool are among the many interested in signing the England U19 international.

The Blues might turn to 19-year-old Fulham striker Moussa Dembele in reaction to losing Solanke

Rival clubs are preying on the frustrated talent at Chelsea and Emenalo fears the agents and families of the brightest academy graduates are rushing into decisions.

'We want them to be patient because they want it quicker than the boys want it,' said Emenalo. 'It's a massive job to try and keep them patient.

'We think we have very, very good young players who should be able to come through. Everybody wants it to happen and there are signs it will happen.'

He believes only a few players are ready for elite action before their 20s, a point perhaps proved by Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne, both of whom have thrived since leaving Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are interested in the idea of re-signing Lukaku.

Defender Andreas Christensen is expected to spent next season at Borussia Monchengladbach

Andreas Christensen is highly rated by Emenalo but will spend next year at Borussia Monchengladbach as part of a two-year loan agreement.

Todd Kane, a 22-year-old full-back who has been to five clubs on loan, had been lined up for a return to Chelsea in the summer with a view to a future in Antonio Conte's first-team squad after an outstanding year in the Dutch Eredivisie with NEC Nijmegen.

Emenalo attended a game between NEC and Vitesse, earlier this month, when Kane excelled, but the full-back suffered a knee injury on Wednesday.