Chelsea face competition from Atletico Madrid for signing of Premier League star

Chelsea travel to Aston Villa in one of five Premier League games on Sunday afternoon. 

The Blues have been in good form of late, winning their last four games across all competitions, and they remain unbeaten under new manager Graham Potter.

They face a Villa side that have won just twice this season, and currently sit in 16th, just two points off the drop zone.

Potter can be pleased with his start to life at Stamford Bridge, although The Blues have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of a Premier League star.

As reported by The Mirror, Spanish side Atletico Madrid are set to rival Chelsea for the signing of Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Leandro Trossard.

The Belgian has been in good form of late and his impressive run has alerted a number of clubs.

The 27-year-old so far has five goals and two assists in nine Premier League matches this season, but he is set to be out of contract next summer and Chelsea are reportedly waiting to pounce.

Potter already has former Brighton player Marc Cucurella in his Chelsea squad

Trossard is a player that Potter knows well from his time on the south coast, but their pursuit of him may not be as simple as first thought.

The midfielder, who is expected to be a part of the Belgium squad for the upcoming World Cup, has previously admitted that he would consider joining Potter in the capital.

“If the opportunity arises, I want to go,” he said previously.

“But I want to play and not sit on the bench.”

Trossard scored a superb hat-trick at Anfield earlier this month to earn The Seagulls a 3-3 draw against Liverpool, and he has also netted against West Ham United and Leicester City this season.

The midfielder joined Brighton from Genk in 2019 and has since made 113 appearances for the club, scoring 23 goals and providing 13 assists in the process.

His current employers are believed to be hopeful of extending the player’s time at the club, although it remains to be seen whether or not he will agree to sign an extension considering the interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Atletico could be at an advantage in the race to land Trossard, as the player is able to sign a pre-contract agreement with any foreign club from January onwards, whereas Chelsea would have to wait until his contract expires next summer to complete a deal.