Chelsea Transfer News: Radja Nainggolan Deal Agreed, Latest Blues Rumours

A deal to take AS Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan to Chelsea has reportedly been finalised after a £28 million fee was agreed. 

That’s according to John Cross of the Daily Mirror, who has reported that after 48 hours of negotiations between the two parties, the 27-year-old will become a Blues player. The next Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte, is said to be “a huge admirer of Nainggolan's and reckons his style of play is tailor-made for the Premier League.”

With his hulking somatotype, warrior-like mohawk hairstyle and an insatiable appetite for the physical battle, the Belgium international does seem an ideal fit for English football. Here’s a look at how he puts these qualities to use:

Chelsea need a player of this ilk at the core of their XI. While he was a player often on the periphery of the first team, the presence of a midfielder like Ramires, who was industrious and adept at carrying the ball vertically, has been missed.

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Cesc Fabregas is capable of dropping deeper, although he lacks the discipline and dynamism to play in the role, while John Obi Mikel does a steady, not spectacular, job.

Nainggolan alongside Nemanja Matic in these withdrawn positions would provide a solid foundation upon which Conte could build his Chelsea side.

As Bleacher Report’s Adam Digby notes here, while the midfielder does have a nasty streak, he’s a player who has an all-encompassing impact on matches:

He’s also a footballer who will feel as though he’s ready for the next step in his career and will relish the opportunity of tackling the Premier League head on.

Nainggolan has excelled in Serie A for a long time and the technical and tactical refinements he’s made to his game, coupled with the natural ferocity he operates with, will make him a fine capture for the Blues.

Leonardo Bonucci Boost for Blues, Henrikh Mkhitaryan Rumours

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As reported by Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror, Chelsea have received positive news in their pursuit of Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci, with the towering centre-back said to be unwilling to commit his future to the Italian club.

“I haven’t said anything yet,” said the 28-year-old defender about a possible transfer when quizzed, per Lewis. “The question hasn’t been asked, so I can’t say either yes or no.”

Additionally, in the same report it’s stated Chelsea are eyeing Borussia Dortmund playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan, despite the fact there will be no UEFA Champions League football at Stamford Bridge next season.

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The Armenia international endured a torrid 2014-15 season, although he has bounced back magnificently this term with goals and assists flowing freely.

Here are some of his best moments of the campaign, in which he’s been revitalised by manager Thomas Tuchel:

Mkhitaryan would be a glamorous capture to get the pulses of supporters racing. But at this juncture, running the rule over the Chelsea squad, Bonucci should definitely be a higher priority target.

Not only are the Blues set to lose skipper John Terry, whose contract expires at the end of the campaign, they need an injection of quality in the back four. And Bonucci, who has worked with Conte at Juventus and with the Italian national team for many years, would bring a classy assurance to the base of the side.

Still, as is evident by this clip of Juventus’ recent title celebrations in which he pours champagne over supporters, the 28-year-old has a clear affinity with the Bianconeri fans:

While Mkhitaryan has been a revelation in 2015-16, Chelsea already have a lot of options in the attacking midfield positions, and should Conte deploy his often utilised 3-5-2 system, that’s a role which could become redundant from next season onwards.

What he will need is defenders who are comfortable operating in different setups, authoritative in their work and capable of distributing the ball with intelligence from deep. Bonucci, if Conte can somehow get him on board, excels in all of those categories.