Chelsea Transfer News: Radja Nainggolan Reveals Antonio Conte Talks Amid Rumours

Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan has confirmed that Chelsea were interested in signing him last summer and has refused to rule out a potential move to the Premier League at the end of the season. 

However, he insisted that he remains content playing for Roma in Serie A.

Speaking ahead of Belgium's upcoming international against Greece, the 28-year-old Nainggolan praised the Premier League and revealed that he was contacted by Antonio Conte when the Italian manager took over at Chelsea last summer, per Sky Sports News HQ's Gary Cotterill:

"

Give me the sun I will come [to England]. I'm happy. Why give that away to begin again?

I watch [the Premier League] a lot. A lot of my [Belgium] team-mates play there. It's the best league in the world. We have to make choices in life. I am having a good season. When the window opens we will talk about it again.

Yes. I talked to [Conte]. They were really interested and wanted me over there. That's all I can say.

"

Chelsea have continued to be linked with a move for Nainggolan throughout the 2016-17 season, per the Times' Gary Jacob.

He would add even more quality to a Chelsea engine room bursting with talent.

One of the best box-to-box midfielders in Europe, Belgian Nainggolan is a defensive giant in the central-midfield position, per WhoScored.com:

But he also makes a huge contribution in attack—he has netted nine goals and provided three assists in Serie A in 2016-17, per WhoScored.

As a result he would offer something different to central-midfield duo Nemanja Matic and N'Golo Kante, both of whom have played major roles for Conte's side this season as they have taken control of the Premier League title race.

Given that Chelsea look set to return to the UEFA Champions League next term after a season-long absence, Conte will need a bigger squad in 2017-18, and Nainggolan would be a fantastic addition.

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Should Chelsea manage to snap him up in the summer, though, his arrival at Stamford Bridge could well spell the end of Cesc Fabregas' Chelsea career—the Spaniard has been linked with a departure for much of the season having only played a limited role, per Calciomercato.

Jacob reported that Roma are likely to demand more than the £28 million Chelsea bid for Nainggolan last summer.

But Chelsea have more than enough funds to tempt the Italian club into parting with one of their main assets, and Nainggolan himself certainly seems as though he could be persuaded.