Chelsea may already be well stocked at the back even after Kalidou Koulibaly's exit, but new head coach Mauricio Pochettino is no doubt eyeing a replacement before the summer transfer window closes.
Juventus centre-back Gleison Bremer has been strongly linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge, though Chelsea and Manchester United appear to now face fresh competition from fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
That's according to the Daily Mail, who suggests Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is hoping to bring in the Brazilian, meaning Chelsea must speed things up if they are indeed interested in the player.
Is Gleison Bremer a good choice for Chelsea?
Bremer only joined Juventus from Torino last year, having caught the eye across three seasons as a regular with their city rivals, especially in 2021-22 when being named Best Defender in Serie A.
As a full Brazil international and with four years still to run on his Juve contract, it is reported that it will take a bid of around £50m to tempt the Turin giants to cash in.
For those unaware of Bremer's style, FBref's player comparison tool provides a good indication. Based on their statistical profiles, Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk is rated as the eighth-most similar defender to the Juve star across Europe's top five leagues.
Bremer would be a long-term partner for Benoit Badiashile at Chelsea, but it is likely to be the more experienced Thiago Silva he links up with in the heart of defence next season should he join.
The international colleagues have similarities and differences, with the most notable being Bremer's ability to score goals, as reflected in the four he scored last season. That ranks him in the top 4% of all defenders across Europe's top five leagues, whereas Silva is in the bottom 16% (no goals).
That is further highlighted in the shots and touches in the box metrics (top 5% and top 8% for Bremer respectively; top 36% and top 34% for Silva), though the former AC Milan defender does come out on top for tackles won per 90 (0.99 v 0.71), as per FBref, and percentage of aerial duels won (71.2% v 62.4%).
While Bremer is 12 years younger than his compatriot, he can certainly hold his own. As former Torino team-mate Mergim Vojvoda explained last year: "[Bremer] is very strong, an animal. He is also fast, he is tall and has made a great leap in quality on a technical level, with the ball at his feet."
That is reflected in the stats, with Bremer completing 89.7% of his passes across all competitions last season – a very similar figure to Silva's 90.7% at Chelsea.
Ultimately, it appears the Brazilian duo can complement each other well in the short term, providing a springboard at the back for what Pochettino will hope is a successful first campaign in West London.