Chelsea Transfer News: Maurizio Sarri Reportedly Wants to Sign Denis Suarez

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Denis Suarez reportedly could be a Chelsea player in the near future if manager Maurizio Sarri gets his way. The Italian is said to be keen on acquiring the Barcelona attacking midfielder, having tried to sign him for Napoli in the past, per Marca (h/t Metro).

Suarez has fallen out of favour at the Camp Nou during this season, but the former Villarreal schemer is also drawing interest from Barcelona's La Liga rivals Valencia. However, Sarri has the player in his sights amid questions about the future of Real Madrid loanee Mateo Kovacic beyond this season, according to Metro.

Kovacic is said to want to try again to be a hit for Los Blancos despite Chelsea's eagerness to sign the Croatia international on a permanent basis.

Sarri has reportedly been an admirer of Suarez since his days in charge of Napoli.GLYN KIRK/Getty Images

Suarez would make sense as a replacement for Kovacic thanks to his vision, technique and range of passing. The 24-year-old knows how to play between the midfield and forward lines, and his best attributes suit the expansive style of play Sarri has brought to Stamford Bridge.

While Suarez has quality, he has failed to convince Barca he can make the grade. The Spaniard has yet to make an appearance in the Spanish top flight this season, and he will likely find it difficult to earn playing time over fellow midfielders Philippe Coutinho, Arthur Melo, Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal.

Suarez would probably face similar problems should he join Chelsea. Sarri's midfield is loaded with quality thanks to the presence of Jorginho, Cesc Fabregas, N'Golo Kante and Ross Barkley.

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The latter has emerged as a key figure this season, with Sarri dubbing the former Everton ace "a complete player," per John Percy of the Daily Telegraph.

Barkley's development may remove the need for Chelsea to sign another midfielder.Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

With Barkley developing at this pace while Kante and Jorginho remain fixtures in Sarri's best starting XI, any new midfielder would face an uphill task to earn starts. Suarez's ability to also operate out wide would likely be of little use to him at Chelsea, where Eden Hazard, Pedro and Willian boss the flanks.

Suarez wants to leave the Blaugrana, though, according to Marca (h/t Calciomercato), with AC Milan also among those thought to be keen. If Sarri is going to land a long-term target, he would be wise to act fast.