Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on Radja Nainggolan, Thomas Vermaelen Rumours

Chelsea are reportedly poised to appoint Antonio Conte as their new manager, and the Italian is said to be keen on luring Radja Nainggolan from Roma to Stamford Bridge.

That’s according to Sky Sport Italia (h/t Jamie Anderson of the Daily Star), who suggested the Italy boss is leading the race to take over from Guus Hiddink at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season. The Belgium international midfielder is noted as his top target in the report should he get the job.

As reported by Anderson, Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla has claimed Manchester United are also interested in Nainggolan.

Here’s a reminder of why he’s rated as one of the top midfield enforcers anywhere in European football:

Although it seems as though plenty of factors have to align before the 27-year-old becomes a Chelsea player, it’s easy to see why the Blues would be chasing a footballer of this style.

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After all, one of the main problems with the team this term is a lack of bite in the middle of the park. At his best, Nemanja Matic is one of the finest holding midfield players on the continent, but this term he has been inconsistent, having often been exposed due to a lack of dynamism and defensive diligence elsewhere in the team.

Here’s a look at how Nainggolan compares in league matches this season to Matic and Chelsea’s other midfield anchor John Obi Mikel:

	Nainggolan	Matic	Mikel
Apps (Sub)	21 (2)	21 (4)	9 (5)
Goals	2	1	0
Assists	1	0	1
Tackles per game	1.7	2.8	2.2
Interceptions per game	1.4	2.1	1.2
Passing accuracy	85.5%	88.5 %	89.3%

Conte would be an intriguing choice for the Blues, having enjoyed plenty of success during his stint with Juventus before taking the Azzurri job. He’s a manager who fashioned a formidable defence in Turin and helped Arturo Vidal blossom into one of the most multifunctional midfielders in the game; you suspect he’d have similar hopes for Nainggolan.

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But it seems unlikely this deal will progress. Roma only officially purchased all the rights to the player in the summer, meaning he’s tied down with the Giallorossi until 2020. With no UEFA Champions League football to offer in west London next season, Chelsea would also have to pay well over the odds in terms of a fee and a salary to prise him away from one capital to another.

Blues Linked with Thomas Vermaelen

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According to Fichajes (h/t Anderson) Chelsea will seek to cover the potential departure of skipper John Terry this summer by chasing Barcelona centre-back Thomas Vermaelen.

The former Arsenal man has struggled for regular football since moving to the Camp Nou, with Gerard Pique, Jeremy Mathieu and Javier Mascherano all ahead of him in the pecking order. Given this position, as well as his experience, quality and familiarity with English football, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if he was on radar of the next Blues boss.

As noted recently by Sport Witness, it seems as though the Barcelona supporters wouldn’t be too disappointed to see him go, either:

At his best, Vermaelen is the kind of player who could excel in the left-sided centre-back berth with his front-foot, forceful style of defending. But it’s unclear exactly how good he is at the moment.

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Injuries have hampered him massively in Catalonia, as they did during his time at the Emirates Stadium. Indeed, before he departed for Barcelona, the Belgian missed a lot of football in Arsenal colours due to a succession of problems, and he’s shown little to suggest he’s conquered those fitness demons.

For Chelsea, a more reliable presence is surely required to replace a player and leader who has been so consistent at the base of the team. Vermaelen has shown little as of late to prove he’s up to the challenge of being that figure.