Chelsea are locked in negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Tim Steidten.
The London Evening Standard says the Blues are set for another round of talks with Steidten over filling one of their sporting director and technical director roles.
Co-owner Todd Boehly is operating as interim sporting director but the American is keen to hand over transfer responsibilities before the World Cup.
Talks with both RB Salzburg's Christoph Freund and Paris Saint-Germain's Luis Campos collapsed last week, while there are doubts over whether former Liverpool director Michael Edwards is ready to move into a big job so soon after taking a break from football.
