While we’re not sure Chelsea need a new right-back/right wing-back, having bought Davide Zappacosta last summer from Torino, Manchester United certainly do.
Matteo Darmian hasn’t exactly been the revelation many expected him to be, and Antonio Valencia, as valiantly as he has made the role his own over the past few seasons, remains a winger at heart.
That’s why the interest in Roma’s Alessandro Florenzi reported in Corriere dello Sport on Friday makes sense, with both Chelsea and the Red Devils said to be after him.
The Italian newspaper claim the pair are prepared to put a cheque of €30-40m on the table to acquire his services, but AS Roma aren’t exactly thrilled at the idea of seeing their treasured defender leave.
Their plan, and it’s an ambitious one, is to tie the 26-year-old down ‘for life’, but it won’t be cheap.
Corriere state the negotiations would have to start at around €3-3.5m/year, which is a lot in Italy for a full-back, and that’s even with the idea Eusebio Di Francesco has of moving him further forward, back in midfield where he started his career.
His versatility is something both Antonio Conte (or will it be Luis Enrique?) and José Mourinho will appreciate, especially with Manchester United needing a player in both midfield and at right-back going forward.
Our gut feeling is he’ll stay at Roma, but who knows? Crazier things have happened in football.
