Chelsea could be eyeing an audacious swoop for one of the greatest footballers of all time. 

This summer's transfer window has certainly been a thrilling one for the Blues, but nothing comes close to Barcelona confirming Lionel Messi has handed in a transfer request.

In a shock announcement, the La Liga heavyweights admitted the Argentina international wants to leave the club and Chelsea are reportedly considering a move for him.

The claim comes from Chelsea manager Frank Lampard's former England teammate Rio Ferdinand, who took to Twitter among the chaos of the news. In a tweet that is now circulating on the social the platform, the ex-Manchester United man wrote: "Just heard Frank Lampard is now in for Messi. Some window this if Lamps pull this off!!"

Indeed, Chelsea have already been linked with some mega money deals, but signing the Barcelona icon would be something the Premier League has never seen before. Messi is currently valued at £100.8m but his current contract is nearing its expiration and he will be available as a free agent next summer.

However, a recent report from Mundo Deportivo (via GiveMeSport) claimed that Barca have slapped an astronomical £630m release clause on Messi's head.

Naturally, plenty of other clubs have already shown interest in snapping up the forward, including Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.

Chelsea are certainly in a position to splash the cash this summer, with major money targets Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz seeming destined for west London. However, even with Roman Abramovich's willingness to spend, Messi's reported £630m buyout clause is almost unfathomable.

Barcelona certainly won't want to see their star man leave for free, but if the Blues can hold out until next summer, they will be in a position to land Messi as a free agent and potentially offer him whatever wage he desires with the money saved.

Should these outrageous links come to fruition, it will land Lampard in the Premier League history books for blessing the league with Messi's presence.

Do you think Chelsea could land a move for Lionel Messi? Join the conversation in the comments below!