Chelsea
Chelsea Set To Table £24m Bid As Conte Eyes Spanish Defender [Sky Sports]
Chelsea are in advanced negotiations with a Serie A club over the signing of a defender and are ready to test their resolve with a £24m bid
The transfer window is now drawing to a close so we’ll bring you all the latest transfer rumours and gossip from around the globe. Today, Chelsea close-in on Marcos Alonso…
Chelsea are in advanced negotiations with Fiorentina over full-back Marcos Alonso and are ready to test the Serie A clubs resolve with a £24m bid, according to Sky Sports News.
Antonio Conte has made it clear he wants to strengthen his squad during the closing stages of the transfer window and defence is a particular area of concern as the Italian currently has just four senior defenders to choose from.
A number of players have been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in recent weeks but the Telegraph reported late last week that Chelsea had identified Alonso as a potential new target.
It looks like the west Londoners have now stepped-up their interest as Sky Sports News claim that the Blues are now in advanced negotiations with Fiorentina over a deal to sign the Spanish full-back.
No deal has been agreed as yet but the news outlet suggests that Chelsea are ready to test Fiorentina’s resolve with an opening £24m offer, so Conte must be serious about trying to bring the 25-year-old to England over the coming days.
Alonso came through the youth ranks at Real Madrid before joining Bolton Wanderers in 2010 and spent three years in the Premier League at the Reebok Stadium before heading for Italy in 2013.
The left-back then enjoyed a six-month loan spell with Sunderland in 2014 where he helped the club avoid relegation before returning to Fiorentina where he’s established himself as a regular starter.
Conte has been frustrated in his attempts to sign a centre-back so it looks like he’s now hoping to sign Alonso as that would allow Cesar Azpilicueta to move over the right-back and free-up Branislav Ivanovic to play in a more central role if needed.
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We’ll have to wait and see how Fiorentina respond once Chelsea’s £24m bid is officially tabled but if Alonso ends up moving to Stamford Bridge then he’ll become Conte’s third major signing of the summer following the arrivals of N’Golo Kante and Michy Batshuayi.
