Chelsea have reportedly made a £17m bid for Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio, but they’ve been told that £25m could be enough to prise him away.
Antonio Conte will be eyeing targets for the summer as he looks set to guide Chelsea back into the Champions League, as they remain on course for a Premier League and FA Cup Double in his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.
However, he will need to add depth and quality in crucial positions in his squad, and according to The Sun, he’s eyeing a reunion with Marchisio having previously worked together, and enjoyed plenty of success, in Turin.
While injuries have been an issue in more recent times for the experienced 31-year-old, he’s been limited to 22 appearances in all competitions for the Bianconeri so far this season.
In turn, it’s suggested that in order to help fund a move for Fiorentina starlet Federico Bernardeschi, Juve could be willing to part company with the club stalwart but will be looking for at least £25m for him.
While his age and injury troubles could work against him, there isn’t really any other argument to suggest that this would be a bad move for the Blues.
Marchisio would fit in well into Conte’s system, knows what he demands from his players and would offer depth, experience and much more to the squad to either sit alongside or rival the likes of N’Golo Kante, Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas.
What is clear at this stage is that Chelsea need to reinforce as they’re still thin in certain areas. Taking into consideration all the qualities that he would bring to west London, while he might not be a marquee name or a high-profile signing that supporters crave, Marchisio would be an astute addition and so it comes down to whether his reported £25m valuation will be met.