Chelsea table bid for midfielder wanted by Antonio Conte at Tottenham: Reports
Chelsea have reportedly (as per CalcioMercatoWeb via HITC) tabled a bid for AS Roma midfielder and Tottenham Hotspur target Nicola Zalewski.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have also made an offer for the 20-year-old, but Roma are not willing to sell the player until their £50 million asking price is met.
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has reportedly asked Spurs managing director of football Fabio Paratici to focus all his energy on signing the Poland international. The former Juventus manager is a big fan of Zalewski, but could be beaten to his signature by the Blues.
He made 24 appearances across competitions for Roma last season, managing two assists. The youngster even played 67 minutes of the UEFA Conference League final against Feyenoord. Jose Mourinho's team won the game by a 1-0 margin.
Zalewski generally plays down the left flank in attack, but can also be deployed in central midfield and as a No.10. He made two tackles, one interception and 0.9 dribbles per game in the 2021-22 Serie A season and maintained an 80.8% passing accuracy.
The Pole, whose current contract with Roma runs until 2025, is expected to be an important part of Mourinho's team next season.
Given the player's age and potential, the current Conference League champions have naturally slapped a huge asking price on him.
Chelsea have sent Romelu Lukaku on a season-long deal to Inter Milan, while Timo Werner has also been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer.
If Werner does depart the club in the near future, there could be a place for Zalewski in Thomas Tuchel's first-team set-up next season.
Chelsea attempt to sign Josko Gvardiol by including Timo Werner in a swap deal
Chelsea seem eager to offload Werner ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Blues want to sign RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol in a swap deal involving Werner going on loan.
The 26-year-old German isn't a regular starter under Tuchel. He made just 21 Premier League appearances last season, recording four goals and an assist.
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The Blues signed Raheem Sterling from Manchester City last month, but he isn't a natural centre-forward.
It remains to be seen if Chelsea will sign a striker before the end of the summer transfer window.
Their priority remains to strengthen their defense, but Tuchel is also devoid of depth upfront.