Tottenham Hotspur defender Ben Davies has emerged as the top target for Chelsea as the Blues look to strengthen their homegrown players and comply with homegrown player rules. Premier League rules state that eight homegrown players have to be named in a club’s squad.

According to reports in English news outlet The Sun, the 23-year old is valued at £20 million and his current contract at White Hart Lane expires in 2019.

Ever since taking charge of the English outfit, Antonio Conte has been desperate to bolster his backline. Their defence was one of the main reasons for their poor performance in last season as they conceded 53 goals in the Premier League. The Blues boss’ first choice was Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly but after missing out on him Conte turned his attentions to Milan centre-back Alessio Romagnoli only to get disappointed once again. And after a lot of disappointment in the transfer market for a defender, Chelsea finally secured the services of fan-favourite David Luiz from French champions Paris St-Germain and versatile left-back Marcos Alonso from Fiorentina.

However, the recent performances of the West London club are bound to make Conte worried. Out of six games in all competitions this season, they have kept a clean sheet in only one match and have already conceded 8 goals. The way their defenders struggled against Liverpool in the last league game will definitely make Conte sign a defender as soon as possible.

The 2014-15 Premier League champions have been looking to sign a young British defender for some time. They were also linked with Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson and Burnley’s Michael Keane but so far nothing concrete has materialised.

The Sun claimed that Davies is a long- term target for Conte. The Wales international can play on the left side of a three-man defence that the Italian tactician favours.