Chelsea Transfer News: AC Milan Director Rubbishes Alessio Romagnoli Rumours

AC Milan sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli has rubbished rumours star defender Alessio Romagnoli could leave the club in the summer, amid persistent links with Chelsea.

According to TuttoMercatoWeb (via TalkSport), the Blues have watched the Italy international for years and retain an interest. Mirabelli ruled out a departure this summer, however, announcing talks with his agent are already underway: "We want Alessio Romagnoli to remain for a long time and we are already talking to his agent. We trust all our players can accompany us for a long while yet."

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The 23-year-old is part of a new wave of Italian defenders ready to take the torch from the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli. He moved to Milan in 2015 after an impressive loan spell with Sampdoria and several seasons with AS Roma.

As reported by Corriere dello Sport (h/t Arjun Pradeep), he's remarkably experienced already for such a young player:

Romagnoli has drawn comparisons to Milan legend Alessandro Nesta, but he's much more reliant on his athleticism than the 2006 World Cup winner ever was. Romagnoli is remarkably mobile for a centre-back and has even played as a left-back in the past.

His ability to distribute play and composure on the ball make him an ideal fit for the modern game, and paired with Leonardo Bonucci, he gives Milan arguably the best passing duo at the position in the world.

He can also impact the attack in more ways than just passing:

Romagnoli will still make the occasional mistake, which is to be expected from a 23-year-old defender. But his experience in the past few seasons has moved his development ahead of that of Juventus' Daniele Rugani, a player to whom he has been compared for years.

Mirabelli's comments immediately led to speculation in the Italian press, and Calciomercato.com's Kaustubh Pandey was among the first to report on an imminent contract extension and wage hike.

A new deal would strongly suggest he won't be sold in the summer, but even if it doesn't happen before summer, a sale seems unlikely.

Italian prospects tend to stay in Serie A, and Milan sit just a few points behind Inter and Lazio Roma in the race for the final UEFA Champions League ticket. They've been in far better form than either side of late, and with no more European distractions on their plate, the Rossoneri will like their chances of finishing in fourth place or higher.