Shuttered: Chelsea set to lose all most done deal for defender, £34m bid rejected
Aug 31, 2016 at 11:40 AM
Chelsea have faced another disappointment in their pursuit of a defender as according to reports in TransferMarketWeb, Lazio have refused to sell their centre-back Stefan De Vrij.
The report claimed that the English outfit made a whopping offer of around £34 million for the Dutch defender which was rejected straightaway by the Italian side.
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has been desperate to land a defender before the transfer deadline , especially after allowing Nathan Ake and Abdul Baba Rahman to leave on loan, and after being frustrated in his bids for Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and AC Milan’s Alessio Romagnoli, he turned his attention to the Dutch international. The race for a centre-half is expected to go to the wire, though, as Chelsea continue to struggle to agree a fee with several clubs for their prized assets.
The Dutch defender was close to reach a personal agreement with Chelsea but the deal was called off after Lazio informed the English giants that the defender is categorically not for sale.
The Dutch international joined Lazio two years ago, from Feyenoord for €7 million, after starring for the Netherlands at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He went on to make 27 appearances during his first season at the Stadio Olimpico. However, he was forced to miss the entirety of the 2015/16 campaign with a serious knee injury sustained on international duty. At the age of 24 he already has 30 senior caps and three goals for his country.
Meanwhile, reports are suggesting that Chelsea’s pursuit of Fiorentina defender Marcos Alonso is going to end on a positive note for the Blues as the defender is all set to sign for the English giants. But despite that Chelsea are in market for another defender.
They are also plotting a sensational move for their former star David Luiz who is currently plying his trade with French champions Paris St-Germain’s David Luiz.