Chelsea are in active discussions to sign Atalanta left-back Honest Ahanor, with the Italian club setting a asking price of 40 million euros (£34.3m) for the 18-year-old defender.

The west London club first registered interest in Ahanor earlier this summer when they completed the signing of right-back Marco Palestra from the same Serie A side. BBC Sport has learned that Atalanta are prepared to sanction a sale if their valuation is met in full.

Ahanor's rise at Atalanta

Ahanor moved to Atalanta from Genoa last summer on a three-year deal worth a reported 16 million euros, with a further 4 million euros in performance-related add-ons. He wasted little time establishing himself in Bergamo, making 28 Serie A appearances last season as a regular in the starting XI.

The teenager also made his UEFA Champions League debut in September, featuring in a 2-1 victory over Club Brugge. His impressive form earned him a call-up to the Italy senior squad in May, where he was named in the squad for friendly matches against Luxembourg and Greece.

Alonso's summer overhaul at Stamford Bridge

The potential arrival of Ahanor would represent another significant addition to a Chelsea squad that manager Xabi Alonso has been reshaping since taking the helm at Stamford Bridge in July. The club's most headline-grabbing business has been the record-breaking £117 million acquisition of England midfielder Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, while veteran Premier League duo Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson have also joined the fold.

Chelsea return to Premier League action on Sunday when they host Brighton at Stamford Bridge, following their season-opening 3-2 win over Fulham on Monday.