Chelsea Transfer News: Andrej Kramaric Bidding Begins as Blues Continue Talks

The race to sign HNK Rijeka star Andrej Kramaric is heating up after it came to light that Leicester City were looking to rival the likes of Chelsea and Juventus for his winter signing.

According to Izzy Horsefield of the Express, Nigel Pearson's side have seen a £7 million bid for the striker rejected, but confusion over the player's contract expiry date may yet see a deal materialise.

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Horsefield adds that Kramaric's father believes his deal in Croatia ends next summer, but Rijeka are of the impression his contract runs until 2016.

Should the former be true, the club may be more willing to accept a cash fee for their player's services this winter, and Charles Ducksbury, writing for Gianluca Di Marzio, believes that will be the case:

Kramaric has 28 goals in 27 games across all competitions this season, per Transfermarkt, including a haul of seven in the Europa League, displaying his potential to thrive on a bigger stage.

Having been raised among Dinamo Zagreb's ranks, it's little surprise the 23-year-old is now featuring as one of his nation's most promising talents, having already made his full international debut earlier this year.

Chelsea currently rely heavily on the assets of Diego Costa up front with Didier Drogba and Loic Remy as backup alternatives, but Jose Mourinho appears open to the idea of a more youthful option.

Kramaric would be something of a more long-term investment for the Blues given their current array of forwards. The Mirror's Ed Malyon agrees the prospect could be a valuable investment, however:

Kramaric's scoring rate in his native top flight is prolific, but the Premier League would be a drastic change for the player and agent Mascardi may yet take his talent to Italy.

The representative who recently orchestrated Serie A switches for Palermo sensation Paulo Dybala and Roma's Juan Iturbe is looking to now sign up Kramaric, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.

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That would be with the intention of then selling his player rights on to Atletico Madrid, but Juve are in the hunt to keep him outright, though they wouldn't be capable of offering the same financial benefits as Chelsea.

As one of Europe's hottest prospects at present, the interest in Kramaric's name is sure to rise in the coming months, and with his contract situation seemingly uncertain, Chelsea can expect a fight to land his signature.