Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours, Elite Names and Top Stars Eyed by Blues

Chelsea are reportedly willing to part with a whopping £45 million this summer to secure the signings of Roma duo Radja Nainggolan and Kostas Manolas, and the Blues have also been linked with Giallorossi playmaker Miralem Pjanic.

According to John Cross of the Daily Mirror, the former pairing will be targeted by Antonio Conte should he take over as manager, with the Italian seeking to add some steel to the spine of side.

Additionally, Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness) has stated Chelsea are also long-term admirers of Pjanic, who has proved himself to be a very creative and intelligent player at the Stadio Olimpico.

Taking the Cross report first, it’s easy to see why the Blues may go after two players who can offer an injection of stability to the team. Chelsea’s spine has looked a little brittle at times this term, and with John Terry’s contract set to expire come the end of the season, the team will need some organisation on the field in the absence of their longstanding leader.

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Both Nainggolan and Manolas can add that to the team. The former of the duo is a wonderfully energetic presence in the middle of the park, never giving opposition players time on the ball and showcasing an exceptional appetite for the physical battle. Here’s what he’s capable of offering:

Alongside someone like Nemanja Matic, the Belgium international would be ideal. While Matic is a player who sits and breaks up play, Nainggolan can burst forward and make an impression in the final third, too. And with someone like Manolas at the base of the team, the midfielder would have that extra insurance when making his forays.

The Greek international defender is an uncompromising influence at the back, who, like Terry, is vocal, strong in the air and rarely bullied in a physical battle.

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As these numbers from WhoScored.com show, he’s a player whose capable of exerting his strengths at the very highest level, too:

It appears the Blues may have to work hard if they want to bring in either of these players, though. According to Cross, Liverpool are interested in Nainggolan, while Everton have been making eyes at Manolas as they seek to solve their defensive issues. However, Chelsea are said to see the defender as “a valuable addition.”

Pjanic could potentially be another valuable addition. According to the report in Gazzetta dello Sport, there is a release clause in the player’s contract of £32 million, and while the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are noted as potential suitors for the Bosnia-Herzegovina international “Chelsea have been named as the keenest for a few weeks now,” per Coast for Sport Witness.

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The 26-year-old is a tremendously gifted footballer who possesses a superb range of passing, brilliant technical skill and the eye for the spectacular.

As these figures from Squawka Football note, Pjanic is one of the very best set-piece takers in European football at the moment:

Looking at the Chelsea squad, you may say the player is not really a necessary purchase for the Blues. In Cesc Fabregas and Oscar, they have similarly cerebral footballers who, like Pjanic, can operate in withdrawn or advanced positions in the formation. So a sum of £32 million could perhaps be better used elsewhere.

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However, Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones feels as though the creative skills of Pjanic would be a brilliant fit under Conte:

It’s unlikely Roma will sell three players of such significance to the Blues, meaning they may have to ponder their targets carefully. And as gifted as he may be, you’d have to say Pjanic would be the biggest indulgence from that trio of transfer targets when you look at the personnel in the squad at the moment.

The centre of defence is an area that needs addressing as a priority for any new manager, whether Terry departs or doesn’t. Chelsea have lacked a dynamic, authoritative presence in the centre-back positions for much of this season, and Manolas, still just 24 years old, looks tailor-made for filling that void.