Chelsea will make another attempt to sign John Stones in January despite the arrival of Papy Djilobodji from Nantes.
The club agreed a £2.7m fee for Djilobodji yesterday, but he is merely seen as a cheap back-up option after missing out on Stones this summer.
Chelsea stepped up their search for other options after Everton turned down a £38m offer last week.
But the Blues remain convinced that they will be able to secure a transfer in the future, especially as the 21-year-old asked to leave for Stamford Bridge.
Stones is seen as the long-term replacement for captain John Terry and Chelsea will not give up the hunt.
Everton ended up rejecting four bids from the defending champions, with offers of £20m, £26m and £30m lodged over the past six weeks.
The Merseyside club consistently stated that the England international wasn't for sale.
Chelsea's chances of convincing them to change their mind weren't helped by left back Leighton Baines suffering a serious ankle injury last month.
What to expect on transfer deadline day
Chairman Bill Kenwright has also come under increasing pressure from frustrated fans over his spending policy in recent weeks. A protest, which included flying a banner over St Mary's Stadium during their match against Southampton, put even more onus on the club to keep Stones.
Manager Jose Mourinho, defender Gary Cahill and Terry have made no secret of their desire for the move to take place.
As revealed by Standard Sport in March, Chelsea had added PSG star Marquinhos to their wish-list and they had an inquiry for the Brazil international rejected last week after the Stones deal collapsed.
Moves for Zenit St Petersburg defender Ezequiel Garay and Monaco defender Aymen Abdennour, who has joined Valencia, also failed.
