Chelsea have reportedly enquired about PSV full-back Santiago Arias as a potential replacement for Abdul Baba Rahman as the latter is set to leave to Schalke on a season-long loan in search of first-team football.
The 24-year old Arias can play on both the wings which could add much-needed depth to Chelsea defense heading into the new season. The Blues have sent scouts to watch the young full-back when he played in Copa America earlier.
The Colombian international have played a crucial role in PSV Eindhoven’s title triumph last season as he scored three goals during the course of the season.
However, the Blues want to check out on the young defender in the Dutch league which is set to start next week before making a £12million offer to secure the player.
The South American is also willing to play in the Premier League as he seeks to make the next step in his career. The 24-year old could be a surprise addition to the Blues squad as they look to improve their limping defense which cost them heavily last season.
Conte is also keen to add more defensive options in his squad as he has been chasing Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, Benfica’s Victor Lindelof and Torino’s Nikola Maksimovic in an attempt to strengthen Blues’ defense.