Massive: Chelsea officials in Germany, Conte’s fourth summer signing for brilliant defender edging closer!
Aug 23, 2016 at 3:36 PM
Swiss fullback Ricardo Rodriguez is pushing to quit VfL Wolfsburg for Chelsea.
Wolfsburg chief Klas Allofs is desperate not to lose the left-back, but German media outlet Bild says the Switzerland international is keen to leave for London. Chelsea hopes to do business for around €20 million.
The report further states that two Chelsea officials have already reached Germany to discuss a lucrative deal.
Allofs is reluctant to keep hold of a player who wants to leave, but any deal is likely to run to the end of the transfer window. Rodriguez, 23, has also been linked with Real Madrid this summer.
Antonio Conte is desperately seeking for a player like Ricardo, or at least a similar type of player. Chelsea suffers from a dearth of full-backs, a situation that has been allowed to fester for a number of seasons and has recently been exacerbated by Baba Rahman’s loan switch to Schalke.
Despite the sterling service that both Cesar Azpilicueta and Branislav Ivanovic have given to the club, it is far from ideal to have a right-footed player at left-back and a converted centre-half at right-back.
Ola Aina has been highly impressive in his preseason performances, throuh a total of three dedicated full-backs mean the squad is virtually threadbare in that department.
Not only increasing competition for places, but Ricardo would supply youth as well as some rugged dynamism that he puts to good use whether he is defending or attacking.
At just 23, it feels like he has been on the scene for an age with over 200 club appearances as well as 41 caps for his country providing him with a significant amount of experience.