Chelsea Transfer News: Elseid Hysaj's Agent Addresses Blues Rumours
The agent of Napoli full-back Elseid Hysaj has addressed the speculation a Chelsea move fell through for his client this summer and denied reports there will be an anti-Blues clause in his new contract.
Speaking to SportItalia (h/t Calciomercato), the representative, Mario Giuffredi, said he did not agree with such clauses:
"Napoli disappointment? No, Napoli did what they had to do, keeping all the big names. Not doing much does not mean having a big market, sometimes the best market is to confirm your valuable pieces if you believe in your team. If then the best market for you is to change the whole team, I do not share it.
"Ban on Chelsea in the clauses? I do not agree with it, I also told De Laurentiis the same. If there are clauses in the contracts they must be able to be exercised. In the coming weeks we will address the Hysaj talk for renewal, we had talked about it before the market. Then there was a talk with Chelsea and we stopped."
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In June, Transfer Market Web (h/t Express' James Benson) reported a Blues' bid for Hysaj was turned down.
Chelsea brought in former Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri during the summer, and as the Italian is known for his fondness of specific players he has previous experience with, the club's supposed transfer targets changed accordingly.
Jorginho made the move to west London, while the Blues were also linked with Daniele Rugani throughout the summer, per Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Calcio Mercato's Kaustubh Pandey). Rugani emerged as a top talent under Sarri at Empoli.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis warned the Blues the Partenopei would not be "pillaged" in an interview with Corriere dello Sport (h/t Goal's Rob Lancaster), and speculation about anti-Chelsea clauses soon followed.
Albania international Hysaj was an automatic starter for Napoli last season, marking the second year in a row he started at least 34 Serie A contests, per WhoScored.com. Capable of playing at right-back and left-back, his versatility and knowledge of Sarri's system and training methods made him a prime target.
He's also just 24 years old, meaning he has tons of room for growth left.
A new contract now seems likely for the Albanian, and judging by the agent's comments, it won't be long before talks with Napoli resume.
