Chelsea could lose out on a midfielder to Juventus this summer.
The Blues already have the likes of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, the two most expensive signings in the club’s history, but have still been linked with other midfielders.
That may be because of the uncertainty surrounding the future of Conor Gallagher.
Gallagher has now entered the final year of his contract and is being linked with a move to Aston Villa.
He was a key player for Chelsea this season, making 50 appearances in all competitions, but with Mauricio Pochettino gone, that could change things.
The midfielder Chelsea and Juventus are both interested in
Last month, it was claimed that Chelsea had put Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners on their list and would have no problem paying €60m (£51m) for the midfielder.
However, Tuttojuve is now reporting that Koopmeiners wants to join Juventus, though the Italian club are currently unwilling to meet Atalanta’s £51m valuation for the player.
It means Chelsea could still have the chance to sign the 26-year-old, who has been described as “extraordinary” by former Atalanta man Domenico Progna.
However, Koopmeiners does not appear to be the Blues’ priority right now.
Who are Chelsea prioritising over Teun Koopmeiners and other midfielders?
Until Gallagher departs, Chelsea are unlikely to focus on bringing in a new midfielder.
Instead, they look to be putting all of their efforts into signing a central defender, which makes more sense after losing Thiago Silva.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo is close to joining his west London rivals.
Should Chelsea manage to keep hold of Gallagher, there probably will not be a need to bring in Koopmeiners. However, if the England international does go on to leave, that changes the complexion of things a bit.
For now, though, Koopmeiners looks more likely to join Juventus, while Gallagher is not going anywhere until an actual offer comes in for him. There has been a lot of speculation about the 24-year-old, but no one has made a bid with the view of signing him this summer.
