Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is reportedly looking to hijack AC Milan’s move for Villarreal defender Mateo Musacchio with a £21m bid of his own.
As noted by The Mirror, the Argentine centre-half is said to be set for a move to the Italian giants this summer, with Milan holding a long-standing interest in acquiring him which dates back to last summer.
The Rossoneri are looking for a defensive partner for Alessio Romagnoli, and it appears as though they’ve settled on Musacchio being the perfect man for the job.
However, Chelsea are still hopeful that they can jump in and snap up the 26-year-old, and have reportedly asked Villarreal for time to put together their own proposal and in turn push Milan out of the equation.
It’s added that given that Musacchio has a release clause in his contract, it ultimately comes down to personal terms and which club and challenge he prefers. Given Milan have shown such strong interest in him for some time, they may feel as though they’re the priority, although Chelsea’s ambitious plans for the future could be the determining factor.
With new ownership set to be in place next week with Sino-Europe Sports taking control of the club, Milan will be confident in their ability to sign key players this summer.
However, as they continue to battle to secure a spot in the Europa League for next season, they are still behind their European rivals both on and off the pitch and so it could be a tricky transfer market to navigate for Vincenzo Montella and the hierarchy.
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