Antonio Conte receives green light in pursuit of Inter Milan winger Antonio Candreva in £25 million deal

Antonio Conte has reportedly received a go-ahead in signing Inter Milan midfielder Antonio Candreva for a deal believed to be around £25 million

According to a report by The Mirror, Inter Milan are keen on selling Antonio Candreva for £25 million to Chelsea, since the Italy star is eager to join the Blues. Candreva was identified as a target to bolster the right wing-back area primarily after they failed to land a deal for Danilo.

Antonio Candreva’s entire senior career seems like one huge spell in the Serie A. He joined Udinese back in 2007, but since then spent loan spells with Juventus, Livorno, Parma, Cesena and Lazio. Ultimately, he signed a permanent deal with Lazio in 2013.

After three successful years with the club, Candreva moved on to join Inter Milan only last summer. His debut season proved to be quite impressive and he ended up playing crucial role for the club. To show for his efforts, Candreva notched up six goals and eight assists.

Italy's forward Antonio Candreva holds the ball during the FIFA WC 2018 football qualification match between Italy and Liechtenstein at the Dacia Arena Stadium in Udine on June 11, 2017 / AFP PHOTO / Marco BERTORELLO (Photo credit should read MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP/Getty Images) — Eager to play under his Italian boss? (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP/Getty Images)

It comes as no surprise that his quality displays for the club have attracted interest from Chelsea. Earlier reports also suggested that Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Napoli were also in the fray, but the reigning Premier League champions appear to be the front-runners now.

Although Victor Moses has performed quite decently in the right-back area, it is obvious that Chelsea are in serious need of reinforcements. With a dismal start to the new season, Conte needs to add depth to his squad, especially with Champions League football and the responsibility of defending the league trophy on the horizon.

Candreva’s contract runs until 2020 with Inter, hence making it seem like they might not be too keen on selling him this summer. However, as things stand now, the Italian could be on his way to Stamford Bridge sometime soon.

If that happens though, there will be a question of adaptability. Candreva is a player who has spent his whole life in the Serie-A, which could mean that he might find it tough to play English football. It remains to be seen if the player is up for an exciting albeit risky challenge.