Chelsea have been monitoring Stoke City centre-back Nathan Collins and are leading the race to land the youngster.

The Ireland youth international is extremely highly-rated at the bet365 Stadium and he has made 12 appearances in the league over the past 18 months.

Therefore, the 18-year-old is expected to have a big future with the Potters but they know they face a challenge to keep hold of Collins.

And, that is getting harder now, with the Irish Sun revealing that Chelsea have shown a 'strong interest' in the teenager and they are considering an offer when the transfer window opens in the coming months.

The Londoners are likely to face competition in their quest to secure Collins' signature, with the report claiming that Arsenal, Manchester United and Werder Bremen have all kept tabs on the player, although the Blues are believed to be closest to making an offer.

However, Stoke are in a commanding position as the defender signed a new deal to stay in Staffordshire until 2024 in July last year.

Today’s higher or lower Stoke City quiz – Can you score 15 out of 15?

The verdict

There is going to be a major overhaul at Stoke this summer but you can imagine that keeping talented youngsters like Collins will be the priority.

So, whilst this update will be a concern, as the attraction of Chelsea to Collins is obvious, Stoke should not be in a situation where they need to sell.

They have Collins tied down on a long-term deal and he should be given the chance to play regularly in the future but it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.