Chelsea
Chelsea Ready To Launch Move For £15m Dutch International
Chelsea have turned their attention to £15m-rated defender Sefan de Vrij after failing to agree a deal for Antonio Conte’s number one target Kalidou Koulibaly
The summer transfer window is now open for business so we’ll bring you all the latest transfer rumours and gossip from around the globe. Today, Chelsea eye Lazio ace Stefan de Vrij….
Chelsea have turned their attention to Lazio’s £15m-rated defender Sefan de Vrij after failing to agree a deal with Napoli for Antonio Conte’s number one target Kalidou Koulibaly, according to the Mirror.
Conte has already brought in striker Michy Batshuayi and midfielder N’Golo Kante but the Italian tactician is also hoping to strengthen his options in defence as he continues to revamp the Blues squad this summer.
Chelsea have been strongly linked with Koulibaly in recent weeks after Conte identified the Senegal international as his prime target but it seems that the proposed move for the 25-year-old has stalled.
The Mirror claim that Chelsea have been in talks with Napoli for several weeks but have grown frustrated by their eye-watering £45m valuation and have now decided to turn their attention to other targets with Lazio’s Stefan de Vrij next on Conte’s hit-list.
The Dutch international has been in impressive form since moving to Lazio from Feyenoord in 2014 and is now back to full fitness after recovering from a serious knee injury that hampered his progress last season.
However, the 24-year-old’s future is in doubt as Lazio have financial difficulties and the Serie A outfit will struggle to keep hold of de Vrij this summer if a club like Chelsea come forward with a sizeable offer.
The Mirror claim that the Blues are set to press ahead with their interest in the Holland ace and could snap him up at around £15m – which is £30m less than Napoli are demanding for Koulibaly.
We’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming weeks but de Vrij would be a sensible addition to the Chelsea squad as he’s a quality defender and could be an ideal long-term replacement for John Terry.
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Plus, at £15m, signing de Vrij would leave Conte with plenty of money left over in his transfer kitty to further strengthen other areas of his squad as the Italian coach looks to rebuild his squad ahead of the new season.
