Chelsea reportedly have their eyes on Roma defender Gianluca Mancini this summer as the Blues aim to strengthen their defence ahead of next season.
According to Il Romanista, the Blues are interested in the Italian defender and aim to profit on his current employers’ financial uncertainty.
It is reported that Mancini is amongst the candidates to depart the Stadio Olimpico this summer as Roma attempt to raise funds, handing Chelsea encouragement in their task in bringing the defender to Stamford Bridge.
Mancini, 25, has been with the club for two seasons following an initial loan move from fellow Serie A outfit Atalanta.
He has continued to impress in the Italian capital, making 41 appearances in all competitions last season and scoring five goals.
The six-time Italy international, who was left out of his nation’s victorious Euro 2020 squad, still has three years left to run on his contract with Roma.
Despite the Italian giants needing a cash injection this summer, Marina Granovskaia reportedly has a plan to land the £27million-valued defender for less this summer.
According to the reports, Chelsea have offered current Blues centre-back Kurt Zouma as a makeweight in any potential deal, as well as an added cash bonus.
The Frenchman’s current future at Stamford Bridge is already up in the air, having fallen out of favour with Blues boss Thomas Tuchel.
It has already been reported that he could leave the club this summer with clubs in both England and abroad understood to have made their interest known.
Interestingly, Jose Mourinho’s Roma were among those to be credited as an admirer of Zouma, which could make any potential swap deal slightly easier to achieve this summer.
The 26-year-old has just two seasons remaining on his current Chelsea contract and could be the second Blues centre-back to swap the Premier League for Serie A, following Fikayo Tomori’s permanent switch to AC Milan.
