It looks like Conte’s Serie A connections have not delivered yet as the Italian just got rejected yet another time despite a series of generous offers. His search for a defender continues after AC Milan rejected any negotiations for youngster Alessio Romagnoli who according to CalcioMercato, is worth around £28million to Chelsea. This 21-year-old center-back adds to the long list of defenders who are being targeted by the Blues but has so far refused to move to London. First there was Kostas Manolas who was linked to Stamford Bridge since last summer. Then there was Inter’s Jeison Murillo followed by Koulibaly and now Romagnoli. These are just the players from Serie A.
Where could he find the right defender though? As Arsene Wenger recently pointed out, there are very few high-quality center-backs currently available to buy so who could it be?
One defender who could be open for discussion is Marquinhos. Even though he is one of the highest rated defenders in Europe he is always on the bench. Competing with Thiago Silva and David Luiz is hard for a 22-year-old and the idea of playing on a more regular basis could be enough to convince him to sign. Despite extending his contract in 2015, a solid offer could convince PSG as well to let him leave.
Another option would be Bilbao’s Aymeric Laporte. There’s a lot of doubt regarding him as he extended his contract this summer. It is a known practice for clubs to extend contracts to get more money but it`s hard to tell if that`s the case right here. He might just be interested in playing for his current club.
Dortmund’s Sokratis is also a highly rated defender. He is 28 though which might be a problem. Other than that, he has the experience and the attitude to play for Chelsea. If the German side allowed Hummels to leave why wouldn’t they allow this Greek international to join Chelsea?
Last but not least there’s Eliaquim Mangala. He has a very similar playing profile to that of Koulibaly and he has one foot out the door now that Guardiola hinted he will not be counting on the Frenchman for the seasons to come. Maybe, he looks like the best option for Chelsea and for Conte’s game strategy.