Following the confirmed arrival of Jamie Gittens, Chelsea are now reportedly aiming to intercept Newcastle United`s bid for a Serie A defender valued at over £50 million.
Gittens fulfils Premier League `dream`
As is typical, Chelsea have not hesitated to spend heavily in the summer transfer window. This period has seen them invest more than £60 million for Joao Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion, £35 million for Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, and most recently, £52 million to bring Gittens in from Borussia Dortmund. Yet, it seems the Blues might not be finished with their signings.
Upon finalising his high-profile transfer, the winger shared with Chelsea`s official website: `I did watch Chelsea when I was younger. Not in the stadium but on the TV at home in Reading, during the time of the Eden Hazard era.`
`Eden was the clear player for me at that time. I liked Willian as well, another attacker. He had that little shimmy he did, I liked that.`
`It’s my dream to play in the Premier League. Obviously, watching it from Germany, it’s a really intense league. Every week is a battle, and I feel like I can enter that battle strongly. I’m excited to join this team that have a winning mentality – that’s the main thing.`
`I just want to keep improving, especially as a footballer and a human being. I want to be more consistent and keep learning. It’s a great feeling to join Chelsea, such a big club. I can’t wait to learn from everyone in the team and to push myself to the max here. It’s amazing.`
With Pedro, Delap, and now Gittens bolstering their attacking options, the West London club appears to have turned their attention to reinforcing their defence by targeting a Serie A standout.
Chelsea setting sights on Giorgio Scalvini
According to Caught Offside, Chelsea are now keen on hijacking Newcastle`s attempt to sign Giorgio Scalvini from Atalanta and will face competition from Manchester United in this pursuit. Newcastle had identified the defender as a target, but now two rival clubs are challenging them.
However, similar to the Gittens deal, signing Scalvini will not be inexpensive for Chelsea, with the Serie A side reportedly asking for as much as €60 million (£52 million) to sell their young central defender this summer.
It is clear why Chelsea is interested in Scalvini, even as he recovers from an ACL injury, and his appeal goes beyond just his defensive capabilities. As analyst Ben Mattinson noted last year, the Atalanta player possesses a `front-footed aggressive style` that allows him to transition into midfield when necessary, a type of versatility highly valued by any team.
Although he may require time to regain peak form after a significant injury, Scalvini remains a player worth monitoring this summer.
