Chelsea had a scout in attendance to watch Hellas Verona midfielder Reda Belhayne this week, alongside Olympique Marseille.
That’s according to Tuttomercatoweb, who report that ‘observers’ from Chelsea and Marseille were at the Italian side’s clash with Juventus on Friday evening.
They explain that Behayne has been putting in excellent performances at the start of this season after moving from Nice in January.
He’s enjoyed a particularly quick rise since August, becoming an ‘unshakable starter’ in Paolo Zanetti’s starting 11. He also earned himself a 6.5 rating, according to the website, despite the 3-0 loss to Juventus.
Chelsea are keeping an eye on him as he continues to develop, and they continue to scoop up young talent from across the globe.
The 20-year-old would certainly fit the bill and appears to be making waves in Italy early on, certainly big enough ones to draw in Chelsea scouts.
Interestingly, he is also basing his style on a former Chelsea favourite, N’Golo Kanté, after admitting that the Frenchman is his idol. That’s something we’re sure will have Blues fans urging their club to make a move.
“The number 6 is that of a midfielder, in my opinion it represents solid players who scratch the ball away from their opponents, but also know how to keep it,” he said.
“For me it represents my style of play. My role model, who sets an example, is outside that on the pitch, he is N’Golo Kanté. I really like his team spirit. Even off the pitch he is always calm. But when he goes on the pitch, he has been my example since I was a child.”