After Antonio Conte’s attempt to sign Antonio Candreva was stalled in the summer, the move could come through in January as the player’s departure from Inter Milan looks imminent
Candreva was booed at the weekend by the San Siro faithful owing to his poor performance, and his days at Inter look limited.
Asreported by The Sun, Chelsea will be looking to be the beneficiaries should Inter agree to sell the player in January.
Inter signed Candreva for £19million from Lazio in the summer of 2016, but the Italian scored just 8 goals in 45 appearances last season.
In their 0-0 draw with Genoa at the weekend, the winger failed to deliver a single cross before being substituted by Yann Karamoh, who offered much more zeal to the side.
The 30-year old has been on loan for most part of his career, with stints at Livorno, Parma, Juventus, Cesena and Lazio.
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But Chelsea’s Italian boss seems to be an admirer of Candreva as he attempted to snap up his signature in the summer. And while Inter steered clear of the reported £25million bid, the situation could be different at the turn of the year.
Having missed out on Ross Barkley and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain in the summer, Conte wants to bolster his squad with further reinforcements.
And signing Candreva might be a good move for the English champions. Chelsea’s first team is certainly good enough to retain their Premier League title, but they do not have depth in their squad.
Undersuch circumstances, Candreva is a decent option for Conte to have up his sleeve in the event of an injury to Victor Moses.
Candreva can contribute defensively as well, which is a prerequisite for a wide player while playing in Chelsea’s 3-4-3 formation.
The 30-year old prefers the right wing and his best attribute is that he can play off both feet.
Conte selected him last year for the European Championship, where he made two appearances. At Chelsea, Candreva will hardly feature in the first team, but as he looks increasingly frustrated at the San Siro, he might be tempted to force a move in January even if Inter are adamant not to sell him.
