Chelsea are said to be leading the race to sign Stoke City defender Nathan Collins according to a report from The Sun. 

The report claims that the Blues are ahead of both Arsenal and Manchester United in the race to land the Potters youngster's signature in the future.

Collins has made 12 senior appearances for Stoke this season, and will be hoping that he can play his part in their Championship survival bid for the remainder of this year's campaign.

Michael O'Neill's side are currently sat 17th in the second tier standings, and are just three points clear of the relegation zone with nine games remaining this term.

It remains to be seen as to how far Chelsea are into negotiations with the player or Stoke at the moment, after recent events called a temporary halt to fixture lists across the UK.

We look at TWO pros and TWO cons to Chelsea targeting a move for Collins in the summer transfer window.

Pro: He has age on his side. 

Collins is only 18, and clearly has a bright future ahead of him if he's attracting interest from the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United so early into his senior career.

There is plenty of room for the young defender to develop in senior football, and if he was to do that, then Chelsea could have a player with real talent on their hands.

If he can hit the ground running, then he could be challenging for a spot in the first-team in the future, as Frank Lampard has already shown that he's willing to give younger players a chance in the senior squad.

Con: He's a largely unproven talent. 

Collins might be highly-rated, but he doesn't have a considerable amount of experience to his name.

The young Irishman has only made nine league appearances for Stoke City this term, most of which have come from the substitutes bench.

It seems highly unlikely that Collins would be anywhere near the Chelsea first-team at the moment, which would make his potential arrival a risk for Frank Lampard's side.

Pro: Chelsea could make profit on Collins. 

Collins might not have much experience in senior football, but Chelsea could still make profit on him in the future.

Chelsea have a history of loaning out a number of their younger players to find them much-needed minutes throughout a season, which could be the case with Collins if he was to arrive at Stamford Bridge.

If he was to impress out on loan but Chelsea still couldn't fit him into their plans, then they could go on to make a hefty profit on what they originally pay for Collins.

Con: Do Chelsea need another central defender? 

Frank Lampard already has a number of options available to him in the heart of the Chelsea defence, which could limit Collins' opportunities to impress for the Blues.

As a potential signing for any club, a player is going to want to know where they stand in terms of chances of getting regular minutes in the first-team.

Collins is highly unlikely to get into the matchday squad ahead of the likes of Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen and Fikayo Tomori (pictured).

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