sport Gossip !! Chelsea have made a bid of £49.3m for Napoli striker Edinson Cavani

Chelsea have made a bid of £49.3m for Napoli striker Edinson Cavani, 26, after the Italian club rejected a lower offer that would have seen Fernando Torres head in the opposite direction. 

Napoli are determined that a release clause of £53m in Cavani's contract will be triggered before they let him go, and have been given a list of fringe players from Chelsea to choose from as part of the deal.

Chelsea are set to return with an improved offer for Napoli striker Edinson Cavani after seeing their opening gambit rejected on Friday.

Talks between both clubs progressed at a rapid pace and saw the Stamford Bridge club make the huge cash plus player offer.

The £40million offer was enhanced by the inclusion of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois who was on loan at Atletico Madrid last season

But Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis turned

down the lucrative package, telling Chelsea they will not sell Cavani for a penny less than his £53m release clause.

Discussions will continue this weekend and there were even indications yesterday that Chelsea may consider using Fernando Torres as part of the deal to bring the Uruguay international to London.

Sealing a swoop for Cavani would see Chelsea upgrade their financial boundaries yet again during the Roman Abramovich era.

Should they meet Cavani's release clause, the fee would eclipse the £50million paid to Liverpool for Torres in 2011.

Likewise, Cavani wants £256,000-per-week at his next club, a wage that would comfortably make him the club's best paid player.

Chelsea have also made a strong enquiry for Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic, who has a £25.5m release clause.

Arsenal are also keen on the Montenegro forward, and have held talks with Fiorentina officials, but Chelsea's financial muscle puts them in the driving seat for Jovetic.

The Blues are also confident of landing Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala in the coming weeks.

Napoli manager Rafa Benitez plans to spend part of the money from Cavani's pending sale on a move for Edin Dzeko, who looks set to leave City this summer  Mourinho has also shown a firm interest in Dzeko, but his moves for Cavani, Jovetic and Brazil international Hulk means the Bosnian is less of a priority.