Chelsea will hope to keep alive their slim hopes of qualifying for the Champions League when they host Nottingham Forest on Monday night.
The Blues have won just one of their last nine Premier League games and currently sit eighth in the top flight standings, below the likes of Brighton and Hove Albion, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa.
Calum McFarlane oversaw a 1-0 win against Leeds United in the semi-final of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon, having been put in temporary charge following the dismissal of Liam Rosenior last week.
Ahead of the visit of Forest, it has emerged that Chelsea are stepping up their pursuit of a talented young Belgian midfielder.
As reported by TEAMtalk, both Chelsea and Premier League rivals Manchester City have stepped up their interest in Anderlecht teenager, Nathan De Cat.
The 17-year-old is enjoying a fine season for Anderlecht, making 40 appearances across all competitions.
De Cat has scored three goals so far this season (Photo: Belga News Agency/Alamy)
His impressive displays earned him a first senior international call-up for Belgium earlier this year, and he made his debut against the United States in March.
It is claimed that, while both the Blues and the Citizens have been doing detailed background work on a potential move for the teenager, German giants Bayern Munich are also interested and could present the biggest obstacle for English sides.
Bayern boss Vincent Kompany previously played for Anderlecht, and it is suggested that his ties to the Belgian club could give the Bundesliga champions the upper hand in the race to land the youngster.
Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur are all also said to have been monitoring the young midfielder’s progress.
De Cat’s contract with his boyhood club is set to run until 2027, but his representatives have been making clubs aware that he will be able to move elsewhere in Europe once he turns 18, in July.