Fabrizio Romano has potentially put a stop to one transfer Chelsea reportedly wanted to make over the summer.
According to the transfer guru, Inter Milan should be announcing Marcelo Brozovic’s new contract imminently.
Brozovic’s deal with the Seria A champions was set to expire at the end of the campaign, making him a very exciting proposition for several top European clubs.
This interested list apparently included Chelsea, who possibly saw the Croatian international as a player able to improve Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
Revamping Tuchel’s midfielder has been on the hierarchy’s mind for some time.
Aurelien Tchouameni continues to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, whilst Conor Gallagher’s return to Cobham remains a hot topic.
Why were the Blues tracking Brozovic?
In Brozovic, the Blues could’ve acquired a player with heaps more experience than either Tchouameni or Gallagher.
The 29-year-old is not far away from 500 career appearances, with a large chunk of those earned in Italy.
He joined Inter in 2015 and has since played 275 times for the San Siro side.
Last season, the midfielder won the league and cup double under Antonio Conte, his first items of silverware for I Nerazzurri.
Brozovic came close to winning the 2018 World Cup with Croatia but was beaten at the final hurdle by France.
It is surprising the Croat hasn’t claimed more trophies considering his fighting attitude on the pitch.
According to WhoScored.com, he ranks amongst the top ten midfielders for shots blocked (nine), interceptions (25), tackles (46) and accurate short passes (1593) in 2021/22.
Some might define him as the complete defensive package, hence why so many have been keeping an eye on his situation at Inter over the past few months.
Whilst Brozovic’s fresh deal with Inter might put a dent in Chelsea’s plans, it will allow them to focus more heavily on Tchouameni, Gallagher, or other possible recruits.
Every cloud and all that…
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