What’s the story?
According to a report on The Guardian, Antonio Conte wants Chelsea to sign two centre-backs – Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci and Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk. With the departure of John Terry after 21 years of service, the Italian manager has given his transfer wishlist to the board with Bonucci and Van Dijk being high priorities.
Among the two, it is Van Dijk who would actually cost more since he plies his trade in the Premier League. The Saints are not keen to let him go but a fee of £60m could change their minds.
On the other hand, Bonucci would cost approximately £48m. The 30-year-old Italian has a contract until 2021 and although Juve were not keen on selling him prior to last season, it is understood that he could be allowed to leave Turin.
In case you didn’t know...
25-year-old Dutch defender Van Dijk was recently on Liverpool’s radar before Southampton complained about the Merseyside’s illegal approach for the player. Liverpool soon apologised and backed off, claimed they had no further interest in the player.
Liverpool stated: “We respect Southampton's position and can confirm we have ended any interest in the player.” This has allowed other clubs to step up their interest in the defender who was one of the better defenders in the Premier League last season, even scoring three goals.
Bonucci has been at Juventus since 2010 and had previously worked with Conte with both the club and the Italian national team. The youngest of the BBC trio (Barzagli-Bonucci-Chiellini), Conte had worked with him from 2011 to 2014 while also managing him at Euro 2016.
Also read: Antonio Conte – The mad genius and the relentless quest for perfection
The heart of the matter
Southampton finished eighth last season – 15 points behind seventh-placed Everton. The club have finished between sixth and eighth in the past four seasons and do not look like moving up any further. It is no wonder then that Van Dijk is looking to leave the club who are now close to appointing Mauricio Pellegrino to replace Claude Puel as manager.
Bonucci’s case is slightly different. Having spent his entire career in Italy, the defender is open to moving to a different league, even claiming that the English league ‘fasicnated’ him. “When I can, I watch English games, and not only for the quality of the players on display,” he said back in April. “I’m hot-headed, and I love the passion that exudes from their packed stands.”
What’s next?
While the deals look good on paper, Chelsea may not sanction so much money on two defenders – especially one who is already in his 30s. Both transfers would be record-breaking deals for defenders. While Van Dijk is a feasible target considering his age and his proven calibre in England, Bonucci is not.
The Blues have never given long-term contracts to players in their 30s and Bonucci would expect at least a four-year deal if he is to make the move. Moreover, he may not have any major resale value in three years.
Author’s take
Ideally, Conte should be going for just one of these defenders and spending the rest of the money on other positions where players are required. The best thing to do would be to sign Van Dijk and then look for another midfielder. Nemanja Matic looks set to reunite with Jose Mourinho at Manchester United while Cesc Fabregas has also not shown that he fits into Conte’s plans.
The £60m price tag also shows how inflated the transfer market is for Premier League players. Van Dijk would surely not command such a high fee were he to move to another top league in Europe.
