Chelsea are preparing to make a world-record bid to try and lure Juventus into selling Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci in January.

The Italian defender would be Blues managers Antonio Conte’s dream signing and owner Roman Abramovich is prepared to pay up to £60-million for the 29-year-old.

The Russian businessman is prepared to bankroll a number of new signings in during the January transfer window as the Blues look to retain the Premier League trophy.

The Blues will have to break the world-record transfer fee for a defender, which is currently £50-million PSG paid Chelsea for David Luiz.

When the Premier League returns, Chelsea will welcome Leicester City to Stamford Bridge on October 15.

Kick-off has been set for 13:30.

Image: Juventus website