Chelsea's buy-back clause in Nathan Ake did not expire in January and they can still re-sign the Bournemouth centre-back for £40m at the end of the season, claims The Sun.
The Blues sold Ake to Bournemouth in a permanent deal worth £20m in 2017 and a return to Stamford Bridge has been mooted frequently since then.
Ake was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea last month but nothing materialised as Frank Lampard looked to bolster his offensive options.
It was thought Chelsea let Ake's release clause expire but it is now revealed that is no longer the case and Lampard can still consider his signing at the end of the season.
Chelsea are currently well-stocked at centre-back but it's unclear whether Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen feature in Lampard's long-term vision for the club.
Ake has been an ever-present for Bournemouth ever since becoming a club-record arrival for the Cherries.
The 24-year-old has only missed five Premier League matches for Bournemouth in the last two-and-a-half seasons.
In fact, only three outfielders have featured in more minutes playing time than Ake in the Premier League in that time (8600 minutes playing time).
