Chelsea are reportedly still keen on signing Roma defender Antonio Rudiger this summer, as Antonio Conte looks to bolster his defence at Stamford Bridge.
The German international was cruelly denied a chance to feature at Euro 2016 in France this summer, after suffering a torn cruciate ligament in his knee.
As he now watches on during his recovery, his club future continues to be a topic of discussion, with La Repubblica reporting that Chelsea remain keen on signing him ahead of next season.
It is claimed that it will take Rudiger another three or four months to make a full recovery from the injury, and based on their enquiries, Chelsea have no concerns over his ability to get back to playing at the level he previously displayed prior to the setback.
In turn, they will ramp up their interest later this summer, with Conte evidently prioritising strengthening his defence, as he has also been linked with a move for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, as noted by La Repubblica.
However, it appears as though he’ll be unsuccessful in that pursuit with Napoli asking for a significant fee to part company with the commanding centre-half, and so Rudiger may well become the first choice again.
It’s unclear though as to whether the Giallorossi will be willing to sell the German ace, as having already lost Miralem Pjanic to Juventus this week, they’ll be under pressure from their supporters to avoid losing another important individual.
While they will naturally hope to reinvest in the squad and replace them, it would be a blow for Luciano Spalletti to see too much of an overhaul of his squad this summer, and so Rudiger could be kept at all costs with the capital club now solving their financial restrictions with the fee received for Pjanic.