Reports in the Italian media suggest Chelsea and AC Milan will go head to head in January for the signature of Villarreal defender Mateo Musacchio.
According to Calciomercato, the Blues and the Rossoneri will have to battle it out for Argentina international Mateo Musacchio in the winter transfer window. The new AC Milan hierarchy reportedly intend on investing in him, and it is likely that the Chelsea board will be willing to splash the cash on him if Antonio Conte is convinced that he can improve the defence.
Chelsea’s defensive woes over the course of the past campaign have been well documented. The Blues are heavily reliant on John Terry and his absence in their back four has shown how vulnerable they are without his leadership and organisational skills. David Luiz has not significantly improved the defence, Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic are no longer the players they once were, and Kurt Zouma is still on the recovery trail.
For their part, AC Milan haven’t had the best start under Vincenzo Montella this term either. They currently sit in 6th place in the Serie A and seem to be in desperate need of defensive reinforcements. Besides Mattia De Sciglio and Alessio Romagnoli, they lack quality defenders and have been on the hunt for a quality centre-back to help solidify their defence.
The 26-year-old is a product of the famed River Plate youth academy. In 2009, he moved to Villareal B in the Spanish second division. After making his first team debut in 2010, he has established himself as a part of the Villarreal first team squad and has gone on to become a mainstay at the heart of the Spanish side’s defence.
Given Roman Abramovich’s financial backing and AC Milan’s new ownership, there are certainly more quality options available in the market which both clubs can afford, so it is unlikely that Musacchio will be a first choice transfer target for either club.