Chelsea have reportedly reignited their interest in Paris Saint-Germain superstar Javier Pastore but face competition from AC Milan in the pursuit of the Argentine.
As per a TransferMarketWeb exclusive, Chelsea have reignited their interest in Paris Saint-Germain superstar Javier Pastore. The Argentine has been linked with Chelsea several times in the recent past, with the Blues scouting the player during the reign of both Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti.
And it seems, Antonio Conte has also taken note of Pastore’s skill-set, with a summer move likely to be in the offing for the PSG star.
Pastore transferred to PSG in a big-money move from Palermo in the summer of 2011 and has since gone on to make 224 appearances for Les Blues in all competitions, in a career spanning over 5 seasons of football. This season, though, has seen Pastore’s role being diminished to a squad player at Parc des Princes.
Just 10 appearances in Ligue 1, with a return of 2 goals and 8 assists in 15 appearances in all competitions, the likes of Lucas Moura have kept Pastore out of the lineup while the midfield positions have been donned by the likes of Thiago Motta, Adrien Rabiot, Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi.
While Pastore can put in a shift as a wide midfielder as well, the wide spots are now also seeing heavy competition, especially after the arrival of Julian Draxler and Goncalo Guedes in the January transfer window. This could lead to Pastore being open to the idea of leaving Parc des Princes in the coming summer.
What a set-up by Pastore for Rabiot’s goal! He does what he does best. #PSG pic.twitter.com/OVf5z45Dqn
— ? (@MedioSadio) March 19, 2017
Chelsea are known to be scouting several midfielders to add depth in the position as the Blues brace themselves for a return to the rigours of competing both domestically and in European competitions in the next campaign. They have been linked to the likes of Tiemoue Bakayoko and Marco Verratti among others.
But, Pastore could be a more realistic target in the summer. The 27-year-old is likely to be feeling frozen out with the greatly diminished role in the first-team setup at PSG and would love to be a part of the Conte revolution at Stamford Bridge, which could give him a chance to start over while also providing him with an opportunity to test himself in a new league.
AC Milan, though, provide stiff competition to the Blues. The historic Italian outfit are looking to provide Montella with a war-chest in the summer to make the squad more competitive for the next season. Pastore is well versed with the Serie A and could provide the Rossoneri with a player who would take little time to establish himself in the squad.
Pastore himself could prefer a move to AC Milan due to the familiarity with Serie A. His contract at PSG runs till 2019 and is likely to cost a considerable amount for the suitors. However, given his currently diminished squad status, PSG are unlikely to slap an astronomical price tag on the player.
The summer could well be a defining one for Pastore and his decision could well shape his future place in the footballing world.
