Speculation suggests Villas-Boas has joined rivals Manchester United and Manchester City in tracking the progress of the 20-year-old, who made his full England debut earlier this season.
The Chelsea boss has made no secret of his desire to freshen things up at Stamford Bridge since being appointed in the summer with the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Oriel Romeu and Raul Meireles all having established themselves in the first team over the last few months.
And it is understood that Villas-Boas sees Rodwell as an ideal long-term replacement in midfield for Frank Lampard and Michael Essien, who has struggled with a series of serious injuries over the last three years.
Everton are understandably keen to retain one of their most valuable players but the Goodison Park club revealed major debts at the start of this season and boss David Moyes admitted recently to the press: “I’ve always said if any club is going to come and try to take our better players, we don’t sell cheap. It’s expensive to buy from us.”
