Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas could be used in a swap deal with Roma as Antonio Conte continues his pursuit of the Italian club’s star trio.
The 29-year-old returned to the starting line-up earlier this month and played an important part in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Manchester City.
However, his comeback was short lived as he returned to the bench at the weekend against West Bromwich Albion, with The Daily Star noting that speculation continues to link the Spaniard with an exit from Stamford Bridge.
According to Il Tempo, Roma are ready to provide AC Milan with competition for Fabregas and will use Chelsea’s reported interest in trio Radja Nainggolan, Antonio Rudiger and Kostas Manolas to their advantage.
Conte was keen on Nainggolan in the summer to add steel and depth to his midfield, while the Italian tactician continues to monitor the market to bring in further defensive reinforcements with the likes of John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic not getting any younger.
While Roma will undoubtedly want to keep hold of their key players, adding Fabregas to the mix could test their resolve and ensure that they at least start to consider any offer on the table.
The former Arsenal and Barcelona star joined Chelsea for a fee in the region of £30m in 2014, according to BBC Sport, and enjoyed an excellent opening campaign in west London by playing a leading role in their Premier League title triumph.
However, his form dipped last year under Jose Mourinho while Conte has used him sparingly, and so doubts have continued to be raised regarding his future at the club.
If Roma are willing to negotiate, then Conte could well use Fabregas in his attempt to finally launch a successful raid on Roma and bolster his own squad further with players that fit his ideas and system better.