Chelsea have expressed a desire to sign one £102 million forward, as his agents confirms the players desire to quit his club this summer.
Maresca set for busy first transfer window at Chelsea
Following the signing of defender Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham on a free transfer, the Blues are by no means finished with the centre-back’s arrival in west London.
Chelsea have been heavily linked with moves for Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran and Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise over the past week, as co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart look to reinforce Enzo Maresca’s attacking options.
Duran is very keen to make a move to Chelsea, while it is believed that Olise has already agreed to swap Selhurst Park for Stamford Bridge by shaking hands on personal terms. The two potential additions would significantly bolster Maresca’s options, as the club look to back a manager who they believe is the perfect fit to take them forward.
| Enzo Maresca’s record at Leicester City last season | The numbers (Transfermarkt) |
|---|---|
| Games managed | 53 |
| Wins | 36 |
| Draws | 4 |
| Losses | 13 |
| Points on average per game | 2.11 |
“Maresca believes in the Chelsea project around young players with a big future,” wrote Fabrizio Romano in one of his Daily Briefings.
“He thinks it is a really exciting project. Meanwhile, Chelsea are convinced he’s a super talented coach and that’s why he’s a name appreciated by both directors and owners, all convinced he can be the man for present and future. Maresca’s obsession with ball possession, quality football, dominating the game, his knowledge of elite football despite being a young manager – all of this made the difference for Chelsea to pick him.
“It will continue to be a busy summer at Chelsea. It won’t be completely crazy but they will try to make smart things happen, including a new goalkeeper and I expect them to try for at least one new centre-back, but it could be two. I also expect Chelsea to be busy with the striker position.”
They also appear to be on alert over Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the Georgian’s situation in Serie A, who has set his sights on leaving despite Antonio Conte’s arrival at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
“We want to leave Napoli, but now we’re all waiting for the Euro 2024,” said his agent, Mamuka Jigeli, to Sport Imedi (via The Standard)
“With [new manager Antonio] Conte, Napoli have big plans. I’m sure they will qualify to the Champions League again next season and fight for the Scudetto. But that doesn’t mean that Kvaratskhelia wants to stay there.”
Paris-Saint German have apparently had an £85 million bid rejected for Kvaratskhelia, with some reports suggesting Napoli could hold out for a figure close to the £102 million mark.
Chelsea express desire to sign Kvaratskhelia amid public exit demand
As per reports in Spain, Chelsea have now expressed a desire to sign Kvaratskhelia, who racked up 11 goals and six assists in the Italian top flight last season – while finishing 23/24 as Napoli’s best overall performer according to WhoScored.
The 23-year-old was even more impressive during Napoli’s charge to the 2022/2023 Serie A title, bagging 12 goals and 10 assists on their run to a first Scudetto in decades, and he currently stands out as one of Europe’s most electrifying forward talents.
