Despite on-going speculation linking him with a move to Chelsea this summer, it appears as though Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan is focusing on other things.
The Belgian international has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge for months, with The Guardian reporting last week that the Giallorossi had rejected a £23m bid.
Nevertheless, he continues to be paired with a switch to England as part of Antonio Conte’s rebuild at Chelsea, although his latest comments would suggest that he isn’t thinking about life in west London.
Aside from urging current teammate Miralem Pjanic to turn down a move to Juventus this summer, the combative midfielder revealed that he’s already thinking about Roma’s chances in the Champions League next season.
“I think we can be satisfied with third-place, given how things turned out,” Nainggolan told Il Tempo.
“We had a nice run, and in the end we deserved third-place for how we played in the second half of the season.
“The Champions League? If you come up against a great team in the group, sooner or later you have to beat them to qualify. I think we have to play the way we’re doing now.
“Now there are the holidays, but we need to prepare well as we have to qualify for the Champions League.”
If Nainggolan did have aspirations of moving to Chelsea this summer, the last thing he would be doing is publicly discussing Roma’s hopes for next season, as ultimately it sounds as though he’s committed to the cause and ready to help take them to the next level.
As a result, it may well turn out that Conte has to look elsewhere for midfield reinforcements this summer, with Pjanic likely to also choose to remain in the Italian capital with the pair playing an integral role in Luciano Spalletti’s plans for the future.
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