Chelsea are interested in signing Crystal Palace star Christian Benteke.

The Belgium striker is currently sidelined with a knee injury, and isn't expected to return until the Christmas period.

The Eagles signed Benteke for a club-record £27m fee from Liverpool last summer, and he netted 17 times in his debut season.

The former Liverpool man’s goals were instrumental in securing Palace’s top-flight safety.

And the Independent reports that Premier League champions Chelsea want the towering forward to compete with Alvaro Morata.

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Morata’s understudy Michy Batshuayi is not fully trusted by Blues boss Antonio Conte, who tried to sign Fernando Llorente in the summer.

But Llorente opted for Tottenham, leaving Conte stuck with Batshuayi.

The Italian coach is a huge admirer of Benteke, who is a proven goalscorer in England’s top tier.

And Palace’s talisman could be tempted to swap a relegation battle for a title challenge.