Chelsea are prepared to spend big in order to land Manchester United target Ross Barkley, it has been claimed.
According to The Mirror, the Blues are willing to part with a staggering £20 million in order to keep the Everton midfielder out of the clutches of the Barclays Premier League champions.
Chelsea reportedly made an informal approach for the 17-year-old during the summer, but were told where to go by Toffees boss David Moyes.
However, a substantial offer from Chelsea is now allegedly being planned for January as Andre Villas-Boas attempts to further reinforce his Stamford Bridge ranks.
United, meanwhile, have been pursuing Barkley for a number of months, although whether or not Sir Alex Ferguson will make a concerted effort to bring him to Old Trafford remains unclear.
Barkley is regarded as Everton's brightest prospect since the emergence of Wayne Rooney; who left Merseyside for Manchester in 2004.
And it would appear that a fee similar to that which United paid to sign Rooney could be required to tempt Moyes to part with his latest discovery.