Chelsea are reportedly set to go head to head with Juventus to sign Mattia De Sciglio from AC Milan in the summer.
Italian publication Calciomercato have reported that Mattia De Sciglio is on the verge of leaving AC Milan after discussions over a new contract have stalled. Chelsea and Juventus are keeping a track of the Italian defender, and are now set to go head to head for his signature in the summer.
De Sciglio progressed through the ranks at AC Milan before making his debut for the senior team as an 18-year-old in 2011. Now 24, he has had a stop-start career with the Rossoneri’s first team, following an impressive debut campaign, with a couple of frustrating seasons.
The 2016 European championship was his redemption tournament, as he impressed in Italy’s run up to the quarterfinals before reclaiming his place as a regular at AC Milan. He has been as solid as ever in 2016/17, appearing in 20 Serie A games and has even provided an assist.
However, despite having re-established himself as a key figure in the first team setup, all is not exactly well between both camps. Talks on a new deal have stalled, with neither the Milan board nor De Sciglio seem to be keen on a renewal.
With just 15 months left to run on his current contract with Milan, it is highly likely that De Sciglio could be on the move in the summer. If that were to be the case, Chelsea and Juventus will be battling to sign him come June.
Antonio Conte is known to be a big admirer of De Sciglio’s talents, having previously worked with him during his stint as the manager of the Italian national team. With no one except Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses to choose from for either wing back slots, there is a need to add quality options in the summer.
De Sciglio, with his versatility to play on either side of the centre-backs could provide a one-stop solution for the Chelsea boss, and with his best years ahead of him, the solution could be a long-term one too.
However, their attempts to sign De Sciglio won’t be straightforward, as Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri is eager to secure his services too. Allegri gave the 24-year-old his debut in 2011, and has shown keen interest to reunite him for some time now.
In fact, Juventus were linked with a move for De Sciglio last summer as well before a deal failed to materialise. He could prove to be the perfect solution at right side of his defence at the Juventus Stadium with both Dani Alves and Stephan Lichtsteiner showing signs of slowing down this season.
So, a two-horse race seems to be setting up for De Sciglio and with both Chelsea and Juventus weighing up a move for him, it remains to be seen where the Italy international heads off to come June.
