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What's the story?
According to the trusted English outlet, Mirror, Maurizio Sarri has identified Zenit St. Petersburg's star midfielder Leandro Paredes as a potential replacement for Cesc Fabregas, who joined AS Monaco, last week.
According to the report, the Blues have already agreed on personal terms with the Argentine playmaker ahead of a reported €27 million move.
In case you didn't know
Leandro Paredes is an Argentine central midfielder known for his passing abilities and controlling the tempo of the game. The 24-year-old joined the Russian side from a move away from AS Roma, last season.
Since his arrival in the Russian top tier, Paredes has been an integral organ of St Petersburg's gameplay. With his impressive performances in the past year, the Argentine has attracted the Blues as Maurizio Sarri wishes to secure a replacement for the departed, Cesc Fabregas.
Paredes is desperate to join the EPL giants and is ready to go on a strike if the bid is rejected. Hence, Zenit have already started hunting for his replacement.
The heart of the matter
Following a narrow win over Newcastle United, Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri made it clear that he wants to bring a new midfielder in January in order to provide cover and competition for Jorginho.
"As you have seen Jorginho was in trouble, but I didn't have a player for that position," he said after Saturday's game.
With the latter stages of the season approaching, the Italian tactician is willing to strengthen his squad by providing more depth.
Rumour rating: 8/10
Cesc Fabregas' departure to AS Monaco has left Jorginho with no suitable player to cover him. Hence, the Blues would dive into the transfer market to complete their first signing in January.
What's next?
Zenit paid 23 million euros to secure the services of the Argentine. With the playmaker wanting to force an exit in January, they would like to generate a profit for Paredes who has maintained an impressive record since joining.
Chelsea might be willing to pay a sum in the region of 27 million euros to secure Paredes' services.
