Chelsea to try bid for PSG midfielder.
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Chelsea look set to try their luck with a bid for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti this summer after missing out on the signing of Toni Kroos, who is closing in on a move to Real Madrid from Bayern Munich.
CaughtOffside understands that the Blues are on the lookout for one more signing in the middle of the park in this transfer window, and will consider selling one of Ramires or John Obi Mikel in an attempt to raise funds for one more marquee signing to play alongside new-boy Cesc Fabregas.
Kroos had been one of the club’s top targets due to his contract situation at Bayern leading him to look for a move elsewhere, but a big-money contract offer from Real Madrid looks to have swung the deal in their favour, with the German playmaker expected to move to the Bernabeu after the World Cup final.
The likes of Paul Pogba and Sami Khedira have also been linked as targets for Chelsea, but with the latter seemingly favouring a move to Arsenal and the former likely to cost around £60m, Blues boss Jose Mourinho has switched his focus to Verratti, who may be available for around £32m.
The Italian international has been linked with big moves in the past, having failed to quite live up to expectations at the Parc des Princes, though the likes of Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid remain admirers of his due to his exciting potential.
The 21-year-old could benefit from a move to another league, and may relish the chance to work under Mourinho at Stamford Bridge due to the Portuguese coach’s good track record of improving players and building trophy-winning teams.
It remains to be seen if United will also come back in for Verratti this summer as they continue to prioritise a move for Juventus and Chile midfield star Arturo Vidal, which could put Chelsea in the driving seat to snap him up.
Although £32m will represent another big expense for the Blues in this transfer market, the club have raised significant funds from the sale of David Luiz to PSG earlier this summer, while others such as Fernando Torres and Demba Ba could still be sold as well before the start of next season.
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