Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Franck Kessie and Salvatore Sirigu
Roma have reportedly made a sizeable bid for Atalanta star and reported Chelsea target Franck Kessie.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t CalcioMercato.com), the capital club have offered €25 million (£21.33 million) for the 20-year-old sensation and are also ready to include youngsters Riccardo Marchizza and Marco Tumminello as part of any possible move.
As noted in the report, the Blues, as well as Juventus, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, have been linked with Kessie.
Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) revealed Chelsea and PSG have already had bids of €25 million turned down for the Atalanta tyro.
These numbers from WhoScored.com sum up just how impressive the midfielder has been in Serie A so far this season:
It's no surprise so many clubs are courting Kessie. Boasting power, purpose and in-game intelligence, the youngster has shown so many different attributes at the heart of an impressive La Dea side this season—he's even chipped in with six goals.
Antonio Conte's Chelsea team have been superb in midfield this season, with the physicality and stamina of N'Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic crucial to their surge clear at the top of the Premier League. Kessie may not be ready to usurp them quite yet, although he'd be a tremendous third option to fill the two positions.
Per sports journalist Jack Rathborn, it doesn't look as though the Chelsea manager is completely satisfied with his options in the middle of the park:
Roma may be looking to steal a march on the competition with this offer, although according to the report from Sky Italia, Atalanta are adamant they will not sell until the summer, when Kessie will fetch a princely sum.
The Blues, as such, should have plenty of time to put together a package that'll convince the midfielder to make the switch to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea Closing in on Salvatore Sirigu
According to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Sport Witness), Chelsea are "a step away" from signing Italy international goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.
It's suggested Conte wants to bring in the stopper, who is currently on loan with Sevilla from PSG, in case Asmir Begovic departs in the January transfer window. The 30-year-old would most likely arrive as a back-up option for Thibaut Courtois, who has been excellent in 2016-17.
While Sirigu has struggled to find his best form with the La Liga club, he's proved himself to be a very capable stopper down the years:
However, since moving to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, the Italian has made just two league appearances. Kieran Canning of Agence France-Presse outlined his doubts about the goalkeeper's move to Sevilla earlier this season:
The aforementioned red card came during the match with Athletic Bilbao in September, when Sirigu claimed a cross and then elbowed the back of Aritz Aduriz's head. It was the last time he made an appearance for Jorge Sampaoli's high-flying side, with Sergio Rico nailing down a starting spot in goal since.
As a potential back-up option should Begovic depart, Sirigu would bring quality and experience to Stamford Bridge. However, in what should be the prime years of his career, surely the goalkeeper would prefer to find a club where he can feature on a much more frequent basis.
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