Chelsea To Table £42m Bid For Serie A Star As Conte Kick-Starts Huge Spending Spree

Managers are now pressing ahead with their plans for the summer transfer window so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip from around the globe. Today, Chelsea are linked with Kostas Manolas….

Chelsea are ready to submit a whopping £42m offer for Roma defender Kostas Manolas as Antonio Conte looks to kick-start his summer spending, according to a report in the Metro.

The Blues boss is expected to be extremely busy in the market with the Mirror reporting today that Roman Abramovich is prepared to back his manager with a huge £250m transfer kitty.

A new central defender is a priority as Conte needs to find a long-term replacement for John Terry after the long-serving skipper left the club following the expiration of his contract.

The likes of Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly have been touted as targets in the media in recent weeks but it looks as though Conte has another Serie A-based defender in mind.

That’s because the Metro are citing a report coming from Greek outlet Sport-FM that claims Chelsea are set to test Roma’s resolve with an opening offer worth £42m for Manolas.

The Greek international has been linked with a move to the Premier League in the past after developing in to one of the most consistent centre-backs in Italy following his arrival from Olympiacos in 2014.

Manolas was once again outstanding last season with his rock solid displays at the back helping Roma qualify for the Champions League with a second-placed finish behind champions Juventus.

We’ll have to wait and see how Roma respond to Chelsea’s offer if it does come to fruition but I think Manolas would be a superb addition to Conte’s squad if the Blues were able to agree a deal for his signature.

READ MORE –> Chelsea transfer news

The 26-year-old would not only replace Terry but he’d likely replace Gary Cahill in the back three – although Conte will need options to rotate next season if Chelsea are to compete in the league and Champions League so I’m sure they’d both see plenty of playing time along with David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta.