Yesterday, we brought you a story from Spain claiming that Antonio Conte was looking at La Liga for reinforcements in January, and it appears the bug has travelled to other publications, as reports of Chelsea interest in Spanish players are starting to grow.
The arrival of Marcos Alonso was apparently just the beginning, as El Desmarque in the Basque country are reporting London club have made an approach for an Athletic Bilbao player, and no, it isn’t Aymeric Laporte before you start getting your hopes up.
The offer presented to the player’s father by the intermediary is reportedly a four-year contract, doubling his current salary at Athletic.
Chelsea have been reportedly following the player for quite some time, ever since his great performance at Old Trafford against Manchester United, but there is a hitch.
As many clubs have already found out, the only way a player leaves the Spanish club is if everyone agrees to do so, and El Desmarque don’t reckon that’s the case, with both Athletic and De Marcos preferring a stay in the Basque country.
The player is said to have turned Chelsea away, and told them that if they want anything, to go talk to the club instead.
The player is currently under contract until 2019, and has a release clause of €40m.
Furthermore, De Marcos has already said a few times in the press he wasn’t interested in playing anywhere else.
This seems like a dead end for Chelsea, if we’re completely honest. No harm in trying, though.
