Chelsea almost lost the race for Nemanja Matic to PSG last season.
The Daily Express says reports in France suggest that PSG were ready to pounce for the Serbian midfielder just weeks before he joined the Stamford Bridge outfit.
But the Paris club's hierarchy was divided on whether to sign off on the deal or make another bid to bring in Yohan Cabaye.
Matic, then with Benfica, was seriously considered as an alternative to the former Lille man with Newcastle playing hard ball.
Cabaye has struggled to make much of an impact at the Parc des Princes this season, leading some aggrieved fans to question why the club did not move for Matic instead given that both players cost about the same amount.
