Chelsea have made an enquiry for Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports.
Thomas Tuchel’s side will lose Antonio Rudiger this summer, with the German centre-back heading to Real Madrid after the expiration of his contract at Stamford Bridge.
They could also lose Andreas Christensen, who has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, with captain Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso also being speculated to join the Catalan side.
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Such departures mean that Chelsea will need to find replacements for their backline ahead of next season, as they look to close the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool.
According to the Daily Mail, the Blues have ‘asked about’ Skriniar as they approach the start of the summer transfer window.
However it is believed that both Chelsea and Inter are ‘some distance apart’ in terms of their respective valuations of the player.
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Skriniar, who has made 48 appearances for the Slovakian national team, joined Inter in the summer of 2017 from fellow Serie A side Sampdoria.
He has since featured 215 times for the side in all competitions, netting 11 goals and assisting a further four from defence.
The 27-year-old has also been linked with a move to the Blues’ rivals Tottenham Hotspur, and he has already worked with manager Antonio Conte during their time at Inter.
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Chelsea are already set to land Jules Kounde from Sevilla in the summer window with the Frenchman expected to have signed for the club last summer, only for him to remain in Spain for the season.
He could also be joined by Juventus’ Matthijs De Ligt, who has recently complained about his current side’s sporting project ahead of the summer.
De Ligt said: "There are ongoing conversations between me and Juventus.
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“Right now I am focused on how I perform on the pitch, once the right moment arrives I will decide to extend or to look further.
"I look at the sporting project. Ending fourth in a row for two years in a row is not good enough, Juventus knows this too. So being Juventus, we have to make steps. I’m a Juventus player so I’m focused on that.”
Todd Boehly, who recently completed his takeover of Chelsea alongside Clearlake Capital, has delivered a promise to boss Thomas Tuchel ahead of the window.
It is believed the German will be able to ‘take the lead’ in terms of transfer business at the club this summer, such as deciding his own targets rather than those of the club.
Topics: Chelsea, Inter Milan, Milan Skriniar, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours
Robert Calcutt