Chelsea prepare £20 million swoop for Jack Rodwell

Chelsea are reading £20 million bid for Everton star Jack Rodwell, Daily Mail has revealed.

Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas is keen to continue the process of rebuilding the team after signing Juan Manuel Mata, Oriol Romeu and Romelu Lukaku in the summer.

According to Daily Mail, the Portuguese manager has set his sights on Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell.

Villas-Boas sees Rodwell as a natural successor to Frank Lampard and is looking to try and sign the 20-year-old as early as January.

Everton are desperate to hold on to their star player, but their difficult financial situation could force them into cashing in on the highly regarded youngster.

Manchester United were the first club to join the race for Rodwell, meaning that Chelsea could face a stiff competition from their Premier League rivals.