Juventus are plotting a move for a £35 million Chelsea player in the next few days, with Thiago Motta and co expected to launch an imminent swoop.
Players who could be sold by Chelsea this summer
Both midfielder Conor Gallagher and striker Romelu Lukaku have made the headlines this week regarding high-profile Stamford Bridge exits, with the former set to make a decision on joining Atletico Madrid, while the latter is thought to be eyeing a move to Napoli.
Conte and Napoli want new Chelsea player with Lukaku in Osimhen swap talks
The former Blues boss has made his request to the Naples board.
ByEmilio GalantiniAug 2, 2024
Chelsea have reached an agreement with Atletico to sell Gallagher for around £34 million, according to reliable media sources, but the La Liga side are still yet to shake hands on personal terms with the England international.
"Understand Conor Gallagher turned down a new three-year (2+1) contract extension at Chelsea today as well as in early June," wrote journalist Ben Jacobs on X earlier this week.
"Wages offered comparable to the highest earners in Chelsea's midfield. As reported, Chelsea have agreed a package with Atletico Madrid in excess of €40m including add-ons and will support a move to Spain if that's Gallagher's preference.
Metric
Output
Squad Rank
Minutes
3,137
1st
Goals
5
=4th
Assists
7
2nd
Pass success rate (%)
91.5
3rd
Tackles per game
2.3
3rd
Overall rating
7.13
2nd
"No terms agreed yet. Aston Villa also had a club-record bid accepted for Gallagher in June but he decided to stay."
Meanwhile, wantaway striker Lukaku has set his sights on a move to Napoli, agreeing a three-year contract and a pay cut so he can reunite with Antonio Conte. The Belgian's desire for a Serie A return has opened the door for Chelsea to do a deal for Victor Osimhen, with talks reportedly ongoing for the Nigerian to come the other way.
"Chelsea are in talks with Napoli over Victor Osimhen, whilst Romelu Lukaku has already agreed to a pay cut and a three-year contract to move to Naples," wrote Jacobs again on X.
"CFC don't want to pay the €120m+ release clause but are keen on Osimhen should the structure change or price drop. Loan with option has been discussed, as David Ornstein called.
"Also understand Napoli have raised a loan option into an obligation should Chelsea qualify for UCL."
While Lukaku and Gallagher could well find themselves at new clubs soon, the same could also be said for Armando Broja, who has been repeatedly linked with a move away this window.
Juventus plotting move to sign Broja from Chelsea in next few days
According to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, via Football Italia, Juventus are plotting a move to sign Broja in the coming days, as they look to replace Arkadiusz Milik.
Motta and co have decided to put the Pole up for sale, with Broja targeted as their sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli looks to freshen up the squad. Chelsea would prefer to sell the Albanian permanently, rather than green-light another loan.
Other reports state Broja is valued at around £35 million by Chelsea, so it remains to be seen whether Juve would be willing to reach that figure. The 22-year-old endured a torrid loan spell at Fulham last season, with Rodrigo Muniz largely keeping him out of the starting XI.
The former Southampton loanee is not part of Enzo Maresca's long-term plans as a result, and Juve will be aware of this when considering just how much they want to pay.