Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on Paul Pogba and Radja Nainggolan Rumours

Juventus will reportedly demand a whopping €160 million if they're to sell Chelsea target Paul Pogba.

That’s according to Marca (h/t La Gazzetta dello Sport and Michael Wade of ESPN FC), who have reported it will require a world record transfer fee for them to consider parting with their star midfielder.

Wade notes that Real Madrid are interested in the player, although Get French Football News stated that the Blues have been in “constant contact” with the player’s entourage.

Antonio Conte, who will take over the manager’s position at Stamford Bridge at the conclusion of the UEFA European Championships, was the coach who helped push Pogba’s career along at Juventus. Here is a look at why the Italian manager may be keen on bringing him to his new club:

Aside from Chelsea and Real, Manchester United, Manchester City and Barcelona have also been linked with the 23-year-old superstar, per Daniel Taylor of the Guardian.

It’s a lot of money to pay for one player, but Pogba is one of a very select group of footballers who could potentially warrant that kind of outlay. After all, he’s young, marketable and most importantly, he possesses the quality to have a profound influence on matches.

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Despite his obvious abilities, he still has a lot to learn at the top level, something that’s been on display at the Euros recently. Pogba was expected to take the tournament by storm, but as Bleacher Report’s Gianni Verschueren noted, he’s shown some of his frailties on the big stage:

Nevertheless, any team that stumps up the kind of money aforementioned would be getting a footballer that has the potential to become one of the world’s very best. Few athletes can blend balance and brute strength quite like Pogba, and if Chelsea were able to lure him to west London, it’d be a substantial coup.

Another season where he is wouldn’t be the worst decision for the player, though. As aforementioned, there are still rough edges to his game, and they’re weaknesses he’d be better served working on in a familiar environment.

Radja Nainggolan Blow

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According to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Sport Witness' Lucas Sposito), Radja Nainggolan is set to sign a new contract with Roma after “resisting the temptation” of moving to Chelsea.

As noted in the piece, the Blues have been linked with a move for the Belgium midfielder. But it’s suggested a raise in salary is on the cards for the 28-year-old should he remain at the Stadio Olimpico this summer. According to Sport Witness, Nainggolan “is genuinely very happy in Rome.”

The names linked with the Blues suggest that Conte is seeking to add some steel to his Chelsea midfield next term. Here is a look at how Nainggolan, Pogba and current Blues linchpin Nemanja Matic compared in league matches last term:

	Pogba	Nainggolan	Matic
Apps (Sub)	33 (2)	33 (2)	28 (5)
Goals	8	6	2
Assists	12	1	2
Tackles per game	2.2	1.8	2.5
Interceptions per game	1.3	1.3	2
Dribbles per game	2.9	0.8	1.2
Key passes per game	1.5	1.2	0.6
Passing accuracy	83.4 %	85.2 %	88.1 %

Nainggolan would add an edge that the Blues lacked in 2015-16. The Roma man would potentially be a perfect partner for Matic, too, as he can carry the ball through phases of the field, has the dynamism to snuff out danger and make an impression in the final third.

Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe thinks that these are the types of traits that Conte needs to add to his midfield engine room:

For Roma, it’s vital they keep hold of Nainggolan. With Miralem Pjanic having signed for rivals Juventus, their midfield will need restructuring in 2016-17, a process that their current players must be a key part of. Losing Nainggolan—their motor in the middle of the pitch, as well as their prime creator—would be a devastating blow.