If the European media is anything to go by these days, then Chelsea will be looking for a left-back in the summer.
This comes as Emerson Palmieri appears to be the likely sacrifice in the role, with Calciomercato on Monday stating that despite Inter’s interest in Marcos Alonso, the Spaniard remains a vital part of Frank Lampard’s squad for the future.
Should the Italy international be sold, however, the former Fiorentina man will need competition, and they aren’t just going to bring in a youngster.
The Portuguese press on Tuesday morning pushed the idea both Alex Telles and Ben Chilwell were on Frank Lampard’s list, and now Calciomercato.it report Nicolás Tagliafico is also an option.
The Leicester defender is once more mentioned, and highlighted as the ‘main objective’, but the Foxes’ demands of a fee nearing what Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire (€80m or so) aren’t realistic.
That’s where the alternatives come in (like Telles), and the Italian website claim, according to their own information, that the Ajax left-back is one of the ones being ‘studied’.
The big positive is he seems to be ‘least expensive’ option, even if he isn’t top of Lampard’s list, and possesses attributes in both the defensive and attacking aspects of the game that could help the Stamford Bridge side.
Following the Hakim Ziyech deal, it’s no secret the relationship between Ajax and Chelsea is a good one these days, so perhaps that’s why we are seeing Tagliafico’s name pop up.
