Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has set his sight on Tottenham Hotspur defender Ben Davies as he looks to bolster his side’s defenses. Reports from the Sun, claim that Chelsea are keen on signing the 23-year-old Welsh player as bringing in Davies would also help the Blues meet the regulations on homegrown players.
The Premier League rules state that they need at least eight homegrown players in the squad of 25, while Chelsea have named six homegrown players in the squad of 22. One of the stand-out players during the European Championship 2016 for Wales, Davies is currently rated at £20m, the amount that Chelsea will need to fork out to sign the player.
Coming through the youth ranks at Viborg FF, Davies signed a two-year contract at the Swansea City, wherein he made his first team debut in August 2012. He joined Tottenham from Swansea City in July 2014 on a five-year contract in a deal worth £10m. Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino often deploys the player as the second choice left-back to the first choice defender Danny Rose.
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Davies’ excellent displays during the European Championship attracted interest from Chelsea manager, who considers the player a fit for his plans at Chelsea. Conte is known to prefer a three-man defense, which he implemented in Juventus and Italy and is looking to implement the same at Chelsea.
The Italian manager reportedly wants to sign Davies so that that the player covers the left-hand side of back three.
Chelsea signed David Luiz and Marcos Alonso from Paris Saint-Germain and Fiorentina as the deadline day signing of the Summer Transfer Window. However, Chelsea are looking to add players in the squad for long-term.
The 23-year-old Welshman’s versatility and age make him a perfect candidate to fill in John Terry’s boots, who is nearing 36 years of age, as the latter has less than a year left on his contract.
Having to stay at the White Hart Lane as a second choice left-back after Rose, Davies has not seen that many chances to play on the first team come his way since joining from Swansea City in 2014. The player was given one chance to play in the first team during Rose’s injury, however, he did not manage to impress with his form.
While the player may be open to a move out of the White Hart Lane, and move across London to Bridge, it is doubtful if Tottenham will be keen on dealing with the Blues. Thus, it will be tough for Conte’s men to convince Daniel Levy to let go of the player.
