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Chelsea’s purchase of Marcos Alonso from Fiorentina, questioned by a few at first, has proven successful.

The Spanish wing-back, who Conte knew well from his time in Italy, ticked all the boxes needed by the Italian manager to slot into a three at the back formation, which has now been implemented successfully at Stamford Bridge.

However, if Le Buteur are to be believed, the Spaniard wasn’t Conte’s first choice, with Napoli’s Faouzi Ghoulam also on the former Juventus manager’s radar.

The Algerian newspaper claim on Tuesday that, according to their information, Chelsea had a €28m bid rejected for their star left-back in the summer, but the Premier League side aren’t prepared to give up just yet.

A return in the winter transfer window is speculated, although the chances of any bid being successful remain slim, with big deals happening in winter few and far between.

Another attempt next summer seems far more likely, even if other clubs might start thinking about the Algeria international, with Napoli allegedly also looking at other players in that position in case of a departure.

The 25-year-old defender has been near ever present for Maurizio Sarri this season, missing just two games all season, picking up five assists in 17 appearances.