Four-time Premier League champions Chelsea are reportedly monitoring Italian midfielder Marco Verratti with a view to signing the Paris Saint-Germain man next summer.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has been looking to boost his midfield options since the start of the season, and had a move for Roma midfielder Radja Nainggollan rejected by the Serie A side. Long-serving Nigerian Jon Obi Mikel is set to leave at the end of the season when his contract expires. Spain international Cesc Fabregas, too, is out of favour with the Italian boss and could be moving on loan in January as several clubs continue to monitor his situation.
As reported by the Mirror, Conte’s compatriot Verratti might be open to a move away from PSG after his agent said that the player could be on the way out if the club fails to win any silverware this season. The Chelsea manager has previously worked with his fellow countryman during his time in charge of the Italian national team and is said to be a fan of the midfielder.
Verratti signed a new five-year deal with the French champions in August but Di Campli warned that a move might be on the horizon. Di Campli said last month, “The contracts are made and unmade in three minutes. We’ll see PSG’s aims, Marco is happy to be there, but he wants to win something important. He can not stay in a team that does not win.”
Verratti is one of the most highly rated midfielders in world football today and has been linked with various clubs over the last couple of season, having made a meteoric rise at PSG. It goes without saying that his signature will only improve Chelsea’s midfield and give Antonio Conte and additional option to current mainstays N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic.
PSG currently sit third in the Ligue 1 table with 26 points from their first 12 games, level on points with AS Monaco and three points behind surprise leaders OGC Nice. If the Paris club fails to defend the league title it has won for the last four seasons, they could very well see their star man leave at the end of the season.