Chelsea
Chelsea Hold Formal Talks Over Deal For €37m Manchester United Target
Chelsea are set to hold formal talks with Roma chief Walter Sabatini over a potential deal for €37m (£30m) rated Manchester United target Mehdi Benatia.
The summer transfer window is now well under way and managers are working hard to strengthen their squads ahead of next season, so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Chelsea are linked with Man Utd target Mehdi Benatia.
Image: Express
Chelsea are set to hold formal talks with Roma chief Walter Sabatini over a potential deal for €37m (£30m) rated Manchester United target Mehdi Benatia, according to reports.
Benatia was one of the best defenders in Serie A last year after enjoying a hugely impressive debut season with Roma following his move from Udinese in 2013, with the 27-year-old playing a key role in helping Rudi Garcia’s men finish second behind champions Juventus.
The Moroccan international has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United in recent weeks with Louis van Gaal believed to have identified the player as the man to build his new-look defence around at Old Trafford after failing to land Mats Hummels.
However, reports last week suggested that Chelsea had also entered the race for Benatia’s signature as Jose Mourinho looks to bring in a replacement for David Luiz and the Blues were expected to wrap up a €37m (£30m) deal before the end of the month.
It looks like the transfer is edging ever-closer with the Express now reporting that Roma chief Walter Sabatini has flown in to London to hold face-to-face talks with Chelsea officials this weekend.
Mourinho has already spent big money on the likes of Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Filipe Luis this summer but the Portuguese coach refused to rule out further new additions and it looks like he’s closing in on a deal for Benatia.
The news will come as a blow to United as van Gaal desperately needs to bring in another centre-back after seeing Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic leave the club, and Benatia would have been an excellent signing for the former champions.
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But as it stands, it looks like Chelsea are firmly in pole position to sign the powerful Moroccan and Mourinho will have further strengthened an already formidable looking squad if he can seal the deal before the end of the month.
