After failing to land reported target Miralem Pjanic this summer, Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri may have to forget about launching a new bid next year.
As seen in his first few games in charge, the Italian tactician has brought a new, expansive style of play to Chelsea which requires technically sound individuals to play a possession-based game.
Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic arrived this summer to help with that, the latter joining on a season long loan deal from Real Madrid with no option to buy, and so the Croatian international has to be considered a short-term option.
Perhaps a future solution after Chelsea were linked with a swoop this summer would have been Pjanic, but as noted by Calciomercato, the €100m-rated playmaker is moving towards signing a contract renewal with Juventus as opposed to considering an exit, with Chelsea specifically named in the report as an interested party this summer.
Should the 28-year-old commit his future to the Turin giants, that should end all speculation of a move to Stamford Bridge, and so Sarri will potentially be left disappointed and be forced to consider alternatives to help him build his squad at Chelsea moving forward.
From a Juventus perspective, it will be a major boost should Pjanic put pen to paper given the influence the Bosnian international has on Massimiliano Allegri’s side.
He has played a fundamental role in their success over the last two years after joining from Roma, and as he continues to pull the strings in midfield for them, Sarri will hope to perhaps add another new face next year to further complement the partnership between Jorginho and N’Golo Kante as part of his preferred midfield three.