Chelsea, Atletico Madrid to battle it out for Nicolas Tagliafico
According to a report from The Sun, Chelsea will have to fight it out against Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid for the signing of Nicolas Tagliafico, who is being lined up as an alternative for primary left-back target Ben Chilwell.
It is no secret that Chelsea are in the market for a new left-back as manager Frank Lampard hasn’t been convinced by the current options at his disposal, namely, Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri.
Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell has emerged as the club’s priority target for the left-back slot. However, a move for the Englishman might prove to be too pricey as the Foxes are demanding £80-90m for their academy graduate. (h/t Express)
This has led to Chelsea lining up alternatives for the England international, with 27-year-old Tagliafico emerging as a Plan B. (h/t The Sun)
The Argentine has been with Ajax since January 2018 and has grown into a key member of the team. He was in fine form in the 2019/20 campaign before the season was cut short in the Netherlands because of the pandemic.
Tagliafico ended the curtailed campaign with a return of five goals and seven assists from 38 matches across all competitions.
Chelsea are now keen on making a move for the 25-time capped Argentine international, who has an agreement that with Ajax which will allow him to leave the club for £24.5m. However, Atletico Madrid have also expressed their interest in Tagliafico, complicating matters for us. (h/t The Sun)
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Chilwell’s outrageous transfer fee, coupled with the possibility that he may miss the start of the 2020/21 campaign due to injury, would make Tagliafico a more attractive option.
It, however, remains to be seen if the club makes a concerted effort to go after the Argentine or prioritises a move for Chilwell.