Chelsea have been linked with a £40 million move for Spanish striker Fernando Torres.
New manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has reportedly earmarked the Liverpool forward as the man he wants to lead the line at Stamford Bridge next season, and is ready to break the British transfer record to do so.
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Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez will fight tooth and nail to keep the 24-year-old international, who scored 33 goals during his debut season in the Premier League after moving to Anfield in a £21.5 million deal from Atletico Madrid.
With the future of Didier Drogba uncertain - both AC Milan and Inter Milan have expressed an interest - Chelsea need to sign a striker, and believe Liverpool's owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, will be tempted to sell Torres for £40 million to reduce their debts.
A Chelsea source is quoted in the News of the World as saying: "Scolari is well aware it will be a real battle to try to get Torres out of Liverpool.
"But he's ready to make the sort of bid that will even make the Americans sit up and take notice.
"Obviously he knows that Liverpool don't want to sell one of their star assets but he still believes he can exploit the trouble and turmoil at Anfield to get his man."
Chelsea are clearly already feeling the benefits of the Scolari effect, with Ronaldinho and Deco expressing their desire to move to Stamford Bridge, and Drogba apparently changing his mind about leaving.
The Portugal coach does not even start work until July 1 but such is his pull that all three have said they are eager to work with 'Big Phil', who is already drawing up a shopping list of his own that is reportedly headed by Torres.
Ronaldinho wants to leave Barcelona and, speaking from his home in Porto Alegre, Brazil, admitted he would welcome the chance to be reunited with the coach who made him a World Cup winner six years ago. "I am Gaucho [the name given to those from the Rio Grande do Sul area of Brazil] like Scolari," said the 28-year-old forward. "I won the World Cup with him in 2002. I grew a lot with him and it would be a pleasure to cross paths with him again."
Deco, as Portugal's playmaker for the past four years, is another who has flourished under Scolari. He too wants to leave Barcelona and after outstanding displays at Euro 2008, Scolari wants to sign him.
Deco's one concern is that, at 30, Barcelona might ask for more than the £15 million Chelsea are prepared to pay. "At my age you cannot ask too much for me," he said.
Scolari will have to compete with Jose Mourinho, Inter Milan's new manager, for the signature of Deco but it looks like he might not have to sell Drogba to his 'special' predecessor.
Drogba said: "Mourinho is my friend and I am happy for him because he was missing coaching. He is a top coach but my contract here runs until 2010 and I am still a Chelsea player."
Meanwhile, should Torres be sold, the man to replace him at Liverpool could be none other than his Spain teammate David Villa.
Villa has attracted attention at Euro 2008 with some eye-catching performances, and Benitez is known to be a big fan of the Valencia forward.
Villa, currently valued at £25 million, is keen to experience Premier League football, and working under a Spanish coach is a key selling point.
Villa said: "Liverpool and Chelsea are both big clubs with a lot of attraction. Liverpool have a Spanish coach and I also have a lot of friends there.
"When Rafa was coach at Valencia and I was at Zaragoza there was contact about me joining Valencia but I couldn't arrive until the year after he left there."
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