Chelsea are reportedly set to shift their focus towards Ajax star Nicolas Tagliafico after being priced out of a move for Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell.
As per a report from Italian publication Calciomercato, Chelsea have switched their attention to Ajax and Argentina defender Nicolas Tagliafico after deciding to end their pursuit of Leicester City full-back Ben Chilwell.
Chelsea are in pursuit of a new left-back heading into the summer transfer window, with manager Frank Lampard not entirely happy with the options at his disposal.
Marcos Alonso had been in and out of the side for most of the season, although he did impress in recent matches, while Emerson Palmieri has hardly got a look-in of late. Lampard has opted to use captain Cesar Azpilicueta at left-back on a number of occasions this season.
Recent reports have claimed that either of Alonso or Emerson will be sold in the summer, with the latter being linked with Juventus.
Chelsea had identified Ben Chilwell as their primary target to fill in the vacant left-back slot according to the aforementioned report. The England international has established himself as one of the best in his position in the Premier League and as a result has registered himself on the radar of a number of clubs including Chelsea.
However, the Blues are reported to have called off their pursuit of Chilwell after Leicester City demanded a whopping £80 million transfer fee. Instead, they have now identified Ajax’s Nicolas Tagliafico as a potential alternative for the Englishman.
Tagliafico has been with Ajax for over two years now, having signed from Argentine outfit Independiente in January 2018. The 27-year-old, who has made 99 appearances for the Dutch giants, is enjoying a productive campaign this time out, having scored five goals and set up seven more in 38 matches in all competitions.
Tagliafico, who has been capped 25 times by the Argentina national team, is contracted with Ajax till the summer o 2022. The report claims that the 27-year-old is the least expensive of the options that Chelsea are considering to sign, with another of the Blues’ target, Porto’s Alex Telles, likely to cost €40 million.
With Lampard intent on bringing in a new left-back before the next season, it will be interesting to see if Chelsea go after Tagliafico or look at other alternatives.
