Report: Chelsea makes shock Crouch query

The Premier League transfer rumour mill has taken its latest absurd turn.

With a reported move for West Ham striker Andy Carroll at risk over an ankle concern, Chelsea is shifting its attention to another towering English forward.

Related: Report - Carroll's Chelsea move in doubt due to ankle injury

Desperate for a deputy to compliment out-of-form Alvaro Morata, Chelsea has inquired about Stoke City forward Peter Crouch. The Telegraph's Sam Wallace and John Percy add that the west London lot prefers a six-month loan for Crouch, who's currently on a one-year extension with the Potters that expires in the summer of 2019.

Antonio Conte is understood to be interested in an upgrade for second-choice Michy Batshuayi, and with the Italian gaffer's future with the club uncertain beyond the summer, the Blues prefer an interim solution to the goal-scoring drought that has seen the Premier League holder score just once in its last four matches in all competitions.

Crouch, 37, has appeared in 18 Premier League matches this season, pairing three goals and a pair of assists for the Staffordshire struggler who hired Paul Lambert earlier in the week to guide the club out of the relegation zone.