Chelsea continue to be frustrated in their attempts to bring Radja Nainggolan to Stamford Bridge this summer.
On Sunday night, The Mirror reported that the Blues were preparing a third bid for the Roma ace. And Sky Italia are now claiming that their latest offer – of €40m – has been rejected.
With their attempts to sign Nainggolan far from guaranteed to end in success, Chelsea are now considering other options in their quest to strengthen Antonio Conte’s midfield, according to the Daily Mail.
Per Mail Sport, Chelsea have discussed the possibility of pursuing fellow Belgium international Axel Witsel, who the newspaper suggests is a top target for Everton.
Zenit star Witsel, 27, is a fine player, but he should definitely only be seen as a contingency plan as he is significantly inferior to Nainggolan.
Nainggolan offers much more going forward, while both men are equally accomplished defensively.
While Chelsea attempt to strengthen their squad, there is also talk of possible sales.
The Mirror say Lazio are ready to bid £13m for Blues left-back Baba Rahman and, should the bid be accepted, Chelsea would make an £8.7m loss on the 21-year-old they bought last year.
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