Chelsea Transfer News: Miralem Pjanic Interest from Bayern Munich, Fresh Rumours

Incoming Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly eyeing a move for AS Roma star Miralem Pjanic, who is also a target for Chelsea, while future Blues boss Antonio Conte wants to bring Juventus forward Simone Zaza to Stamford Bridge.

According to Lorenzo Bettoni of Calciomercato.com, Bayern have been scouting Pjanic for some time now, and rumours even suggest Ancelotti has already talked to the Bosnia and Herzegovina international about a summer move to the Allianz Arena.

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Chelsea and Barcelona have also been linked with the midfield maestro, who has played a huge role in Roma's fantastic late-season form and push up the Serie A standings.

As noted on WhoScored.com, the 26-year-old has scored nine goals and added 10 assists in Serie A this season―fantastic numbers for a central midfielder.

His brilliance as a set-piece taker has certainly influenced those stats, per WhoScored.com:

Pjanic is a fine technician and a strong passer whose main strength is his remarkable football IQ. The midfielder always seems to pop up in the right place at the right time, scoring goals that look easy because he put himself in the best position to contribute.

While he's a solid athlete with a healthy work rate, his vision is what truly sets him apart. Like Arsenal's Mesut Ozil, he sees the pitch a different way than most, and the results tend to be spectacular.

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

Conte's strong Juventus teams were always built around the play of solid scoring midfielders, with the likes of Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio often acting as more of a scoring threat than the strikers playing ahead of them.

Pjanic would be a perfect fit for Conte's philosophy, which revolves around movement and runs inside the box. Bayern likely want the player for the same reasons―the Bavarians also want their midfielders to advance far into the opposing half and contribute to the scoring.

But while there has been plenty of chatter regarding Pjanic's future, a transfer seems far from certain. Roma remain adamant their star midfielder will not leave the Italian capital this summer, and club president James Pallotta recently took a shot at anyone who suggests otherwise, via James Horncastle of BT Sport:

The Giallorossi project is an ambitious one, headlined by a new stadium and a desire to establish Roma as one of the dominant forces in Italian football and beyond. The squad has steadily improved in the last few seasons, and the team appears ready to finally reap the rewards.

UEFA Champions League football for the 2016-17 season seems almost certain, and the likes of Pjanic and Radja Nainggolan are unlikely to leave the club for a team that won't be appearing on the biggest stage of club football. That would rule out Chelsea and put Bayern in the driver's seat.

But even the Bavarians might find it difficult to negotiate with Roma, who don't have a financial need to sell and are desperate to keep hold of their big stars.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Turin-based daily Tuttosport (h/t Metro's Mark Brus) said Conte is keen on adding Zaza to his Chelsea squad next season. The 24-year-old hasn't featured much in his first season with Juventus and could be available for a reasonable fee this summer.

Zaza has always been a favourite of Conte, and his rise to stardom during the 2014-15 Serie A campaign started when he was surprisingly called up by Conte for Italy's double-header with the Netherlands and Norway in September. He won a penalty against the former and scored against the latter.

He moved from Sassuolo to Juventus last summer, and while he hasn't featured much for the Bianconeri, he has impressed when given the opportunity and recently scored the winner against Napoli.

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

Zaza is an aggressive, hard-working striker with solid instincts, athleticism and a healthy mean-streak. In many ways, he seems built for the Premier League―he's fast enough to cope with the pace, and he loves to get physical inside the box and power his way toward goal.

Conte loves players willing to put it all on the line for the team, and Zaza fits the bill. Chelsea could use some attacking depth, and the Blues could do far worse than Zaza, who is just waiting for the opportunity to show he can be a top striker.  

Follow @ReverschPass