Premier League giants Chelsea and Serie A heavyweights Napoli are set to battle for Torino defender Nikola Maksimovic.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is working on bringing a change to the side that performed miserably in the 2015/16 season. For starters, he roped in Belgian starlet Michy Batshuayi from Marseille. Then the Italian turned his sights on N’Golo Kante and signed the Leicester midfielder for a reported £30 million. Now, if recent reports are to be believed, Conte is intent on reshaping his back line, and is interested in bringing Torino’s Nikola Maksimovic to Stamford Bridge.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Chelsea have both shown a strong interest in the defender, and will table an offer for the 24-year-old within the next few days. However, the Italian journalist has also stated that the Blues will face competition from Serie A side Napoli, who have already submitted a €22 million bid for the Serbian.
Chelsea were earlier understood to be in the market for Kalidou Koulibaly. It was even reported that the Blues were ready to shell out £30 million for the highly-rated Napoli defender. However, recent developments pointed towards Everton beating Conte’s side in the race for the Senegalese. Thus, in the wake of an unsuccessful transfer attempt, Maksimovic has been eyed as a possible reinforcement.
What would the Serbian bring to the table at Stamford Bridge?
Maksimovic has quickly gone on to become one of the best defenders in the Serie A. Still only 24, the Serbian has shown tremendous maturity with or without the ball, and has made life difficult for opposing forwards.
According to WhoScored, the 24-year-old made 16 appearances in the league last season and put in an impressive performance whenever given the chance to play. He averaged an impressive pass success rate of 84 per cent and made a staggering 3.9 interceptions per game – the sixth highest in Serie A. He also made an impressive 3.4 clearances per 90 minutes and won a total of 2.6 tackles.
For Chelsea, the Serbian defensive stalwart could be deemed as a perfect fit. He could slot into the heart of defence partnering either John Terry or Gary Cahill, and given the former’s age and latter’s consistency, Maksimovic could see himself clock a lot of playing minutes – provided he maintains full fitness. He is a calm figure on the ball and also poses a threat from set plays. The Serbian’s dribbling abilities are equally astounding, and signing him could give Conte a complete package at a young age of 24.