Double swoop: Chelsea make €40m+ offer for new defensive target, £120k-a-week contract for prolific forward

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Chelsea have reportedly submitted a €40m+ bid for Juventus defender Mattia Caldara, while offering Gonzalo Higuain a lucrative contract.

The Blues are preparing for their first season under the stewardship of Maurizio Sarri, with the former Napoli boss likely to be keen to stamp his mark on the squad.

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Given that he adopts a significantly different style and approach to his predecessor Antonio Conte as he’s known for his more expansive game and quick tempo on and off the ball, the Italian tactician will perhaps need to make key additions before the transfer window closes to ensure his first year in England is a success.

Having already spent around £50m on Jorginho to run his midfield, as per BBC Sport, Chelsea are now being linked with a double raid on Juventus with Calciomercato, via the paper edition of Corriere dello Sport, claiming that the Premier League giants have made a €40m+ bid for Caldara having previously been reported to be targeting his teammate Daniele Rugani.

The 24-year-old has impressed for Atalanta over the past two seasons, which in turn has earned him a move to Juve while also making his first appearance for the senior Italy side this year.

With that in mind, he’s certainly expected to be a star for club and country in the future, but it remains to be seen whether or not the next stage of his development is overseen by Sarri at Stamford Bridge who is seemingly keen to bolster the spine of his line-up with Higuain also being linked.

According to The Mirror, Chelsea have offered the Argentine international a £120,000-a-week contract which is said to be significantly more than AC Milan’s offer, with the Rossoneri also involved in the scrap for Caldara’s signature, as per Calciomercato.

It remains to be seen who can successfully prise the Juve duo away from Turin, but given Caldara’s defensive class and Higuain’s prolific record, they could be very important additions.

Chelsea scored just 62 goals in 38 league games last season, giving them the lowest tally of the top six sides. Given Higuain enjoyed the most clinical season of his career under Sarri in the 2015/16 campaign when he scored 38 goals in 42 games, he may well be the ideal solution for the Blues boss.

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