According to reports, Chelsea are looking to bring Lazio winger Antonio Candreva to Stamford Bridge in the summer.
Antonio Candreva is the latest Serie A player linked with a move to Chelsea this transfer season. According to reports from Italy, the midfielder is being pursued by the former English Premier League champions in an attempt to boost their ailing midfield.
Il Tempo (via Football Italia) claim that Chelsea wish to ‘accelerate’ their interest in the winger but Lazio want a minimum €25 million for him. He is a player the incoming Chelsea manager will be familiar with having worked with him for the Azurri. A good individual tournament at the Euros may be the motivation Chelsea will need to finalise a deal for the winger.
Il Timido, the player
Il Timido, as he is known, is a surprise target for Chelsea this season. Used primarily as a winger, it is unlikely that he will be brought to play the position he is so well known for, with Chelsea already possessing a wealth of options in that area. Hazard, Willian, Pedro, Kennedy are all vying for those positions and Oscar and Traore have been known to play there as well.
His versatility is probably his greatest strength. He can be deployed anywhere in midfield and can play as a central attacking midfielder as well, which is most likely going to be where he will feature for the Blues if the move happens. It is a position from which Conte demands the utmost quality and his work rate, tenacity and physical presence would make him an ideal fit in the Premier League. He is gifted with brilliant passing vision and a midfield pairing with Fabregas will be sure to create a lot of chances for the Chelsea attackers. He is not wasteful with his chances and plays rather cautiously, hence the name ‘Il Timido’.
After spending 4 years at the club, it seems as if the Roman-born Candreva may be ready to move on after spending his entire career in the Serie A. This season, the Italian international finished the season as Lazio’s top scorer with 12 goals and recorded 5 assists across all competitions this season. The Aquile will not be participating in European competition next season and it may be a factor which can benefit Chelsea in their pursuit of the midfielder.
Conte’s rumoured ‘revolution’ has seen the London outfit get linked with numerous players this season, mostly from the Italian league. Now in Candreva, Chelsea fans will have another player to keep an eye on in the upcoming Euros and they will hope to see the best of the Italian in Europe’s grandest footballing stage.