Chelsea reportedly came close to signing Stanislav Lobotka from Napoli in the summer.
According to Tutto Mercato Web, Chelsea came close to getting the Napoli midfielder in the previous transfer window for a deal worth around €25million (£22million).
The report explains that Lobotka is now actually on the verge of signing a new contract to extend his stay in Naples, though. A deal has been agreed, and official confirmation should soon follow.
The 27-year-old has been a key player so far this season for Napoli, who remain undefeated in both the Serie A and Champions League.
Chelsea close to Stanislav Lobotka
Lobotka is absolutely bossing games this campaign for Napoli, so perhaps Chelsea may look back at this as a real missed opportunity.
The Slovakian defensive midfielder definitely has similarities to Marco Verratti with his skillset.
He’s a really talented player with great technical skills on the ball. There is also tenacity and intelligence to defend.
If this current Napoli side keep going how they are both domestically and in Europe, the Italian club should be able to demand some mammoth transfer fees for their star players.
The Denis Zakaria problem
Chelsea didn’t get a deal for Napoli’s Lobotka over the line, but they did bring in another defensive midfielder in the previous transfer window.
Denis Zakaria, 25, joined on loan for the season from Juventus. The Swiss midfielder hasn’t made a single appearance yet for the Blues, though.
Thomas Tuchel, and now Graham Potter, have refused to give Zakaria a Blues debut.
Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Chelsea will soon hold talks with the left-footed midfielder about his situation.
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