Five-cap international who has ‘everything’ has now rejected Chelsea to join Champions League club

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Chelsea have failed to convince one of their targets to move to Stamford Bridge this summer it seems.

The Blues have been busy in the market, starting off their shopping with Tosin Adarabioyo and Estevao Willian.

Since then, they have also brought in Omari Kellyman, Marc Guiu and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

However, Chelsea’s business does not look to be finished.

The club are set to sign Renato Veiga from Basel, though another defender now looks unlikely to move to west London this summer.

Chelsea lose transfer race

Chelsea have signed Adarabioyo to strengthen their defence and are close to bringing in Veiga to make it even stronger.

Before moving for the latter, though, Bologna’s Riccardo Calafiori was the defender who the Blues were being heavily linked with.

However, according to CaughtOffside, Calafiori has rejected Chelsea.

The outlet claims that the 22-year-old has agreed to join Arsenal instead, which perhaps explains Chelsea’s interest in Veiga.

Both players are left-footed defenders who can be deployed at centre-back or left-back. Veiga is also capable of playing in midfield.

Chelsea have lost out on a top player in Riccardo Calafiori

Chelsea should be able to survive without Calafiori.

Again, they are about to sign Veiga, while Enzo Maresca also has Levi Colwill, who can play at centre-back and left-back as well.

• READ MORE: ‘Fantastic’ Chelsea player can prove that they don’t actually need to sign Riccardo Calafiori

Calafiori, though, is a top player. In fact, his former coach Heiko Vogel recently told Sky Sports that the Italian has “everything”.

He really excelled for Bologna last season. For example, Calafiori has ranked in the 96th percentile for interceptions among central defenders over the last year (FBref).

The Italy international, who has five caps for his country, should be a good signing for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal and could have been that for Chelsea. But it looks like Maresca will have to settle for Veiga and utilise the other left-footed defenders he currently has in his squad.