Prospective Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has asked the Blues to sign Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, according to Tuttosport.
The Italian newspaper claims that the London club have made enquiries about the 22-year-old’s availability in the “in the last few days.”
Calafiori has played a key role in helping Bologna qualify for the Champions League, and his performances have caught the eye.
Tuttosport report that Maresca “likes” the centre-back “a lot” and he is a great admirer of the player’s technical abilities, which would complement his style of play.
How much would Calafiori cost?
It is believed that Bologna have placed a €22m (£19m) asking price on the 22-year-old but, due to the fact that they owe 40% to his previous team Basel, they are looking for a bidding war.
Calafiori will also be in Italy’s squad for Euro 2024 and, if he performs well at the tournament, Bologna are hoping they could demand in excess of €30m (£25.5m) for the player’s signature.
Chelsea will have a job on their hands persuading the defender to leave Italy
At the moment, Calafiori is said to be unconvinced about a transfer away from his homeland. Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich are all reportedly interested in the centre-half but his preferred destination is expected to be Juventus.
The Bianconeri are set to appoint his current Bologna boss Thiago Motta and the Brazilian-born Italian is likely to prove very influential in persuading him to move to Turin.
However, Juve may well struggle to match Bologna’s valuation of Calafiori and there is a possibility that, if Chelsea do make an early offer for him, they could get the jump on their rivals. We shall see if there is any further movement on this transfer in the coming days.
