Following the departure of the French star Paul Pogba, the Italian giants Juventus are desperate to fill the void left in their midfield. Massimiliano Allegri has already signed the Argentinean forward Gonzalo Higuain for a whopping transfer fee, and is now looking to get his hands on Chelsea defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic.
The Serbian player also had attention from Manchester United back in March, but it is only Juventus now who seem interested. The deal is a lucrative one, as it includes the Juve striker Simone Zaza in exchange, along with £15 million for the Blues midfielder.
However, Antonio Conte was quick to make sure that his squad stays intact, as the Italy manager held talks with Matic on Wednesday. In the discussion, Conte urged his man to not get swayed by the offer and stay at Stamford Bridge.
According to Italian outlet Sport Mediaset, Matic is uninterested in playing for the Blues and has informed the boss Roman Abramovich of the same. But with Abramovich supporting Conte completely, it all comes down to latter’s approval.
Also read: Real Madrid to receive €2.25 million from Gonzalo Higuain's transfer
Matic did not have the best season for Chelsea last season but is still a world class central midfielder who would add a lot of quality to Juventus.
The 2016-17 season is set to start this weekend and Conte is making his players work hard for their opening match against West Ham United on Monday. He appears to be experimenting with the idea of using 4-3-3 formation, with Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas in front.
Chelsea looking to bolster the team with more signings
Conte is also keen on making Blaise Matuidi a part of the team. According to The Sun, Chelsea are preparing a £43 million bid for him, which if true, should be confirmed in the coming days. Apart from the PSG player, Romelu Lukaku of Everton has also been of interest to Chelsea, although The Toffees are yet to receive an offer for him.
In addition to bolstering their attacking line-up, they are also looking to reinforce their defensive wall in the form of signing Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli. A breakthrough on this is expected by the weekend. Interestingly enough, Chelsea appear to be certain of signing him despite their bid of £38 million being rejected for the defender.
Meanwhile, Bertrand Traore has been sent to Ajax Amsterdam on loan for the year, where he will be reunited with his former boss Peter Bosz from his years at Vitesse.
