Chelsea transfer round-up: Blues battling rivals for £51m defender as rejection confirmed

Chelsea are now putting the final touches on their preparations for Tuesday night’s FIFA Club World Cup clash with Fluminense. The Blues defeated Palmeiras in the last round and are now just one win away from reaching the final.

Enzo Maresca will also be working on new deals alongside the club’s recruitment staff, with the Blues likely to add to their haul of Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. Here we round up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding Stamford Bridge.

Scalvini interest

Chelsea are said to want to sign a centre-back this summer, and the latest reports suggest they are interested in a Serie A defender. CaughtOffside report that Chelsea are among the clubs showing an interest in Atalanta star Giorgio Scalvini.

Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham are also credited with an interest, with Scalvini having caught the eye during a couple of impressive campaigns in an Atalanta side that has been consistently competitive at home and in Europe. The club youth graduate reportedly carries an asking price of £51million this summer.

Maignan chase over

It looks as though Chelsea’s pursuit of Mike Maignan is officially over after the Blues attempted to sign the AC Milan keeper on the cheap early in the summer. The Blues were not able to agree a deal with Milan and ultimately decided to stick with Robert Sanchez.

Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has now confirmed: “I am very happy he decided to stay. Mike remains the captain and is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe.” It looks as though Chelsea will abandon hope of signing a new goalkeeper altogether and stick with Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen and Mike Penders.

Gusto on Chelsea’s CWC performances

Chelsea will bid to reach the Club World Cup final in New Jersey when they take on Fluminense on Tuesday night, with the final to feature the winner and the winner of PSG vs Real Madrid.

Maresca will be delighted with how his side have grown into the competition in the United States, especially given the difficult timing of the competition, coming between the end of the season and the start of pre-season. As Chelsea look to reach the final, full-back Malo Gusto has told the club website: “During this competition, our mental strength has been the most important thing.

“That’s why we are in the semi-final, because we’ve shown that on the pitch during all the games that we have had. We know the weather is tough, the pitch too, and all the teams are very good. There are many things are around the game and we have to deal with it. That’s why this competition is so hard to play and that’s why we are so happy to get this far. I think if we can overcome these hurdles we can do anything and that’s why we must believe in ourselves, give our best and see what goes after. We have a chance of the trophy and that’s what we must try to do.”

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