Chelsea manager Antonio Conte will target Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci as he attempts to strengthen the Blues' core after an inconsistent start to the campaign.
Jim Sheridan of the Sun reported the former Italy national team coach could swoop for his countryman as Gary Cahill makes way at Stamford Bridge. Conte is said to be "shocked" by the club's defensive performances, forcing him to reignite his chase for the £50 million-rated player.
According to Sheridan, Conte pursued Bonucci in the summer but settled on the signing of ex-Chelsea player David Luiz from Paris Saint-Germain for £32 million.
However, Luiz's defensive ability remains in question as it did during his first stint at the Bridge, and the manager needs to inject fresh quality at centre-back.
Conte worked with Bonucci during their time at Juve together, and the Italian boss is fully aware of the defender's attributes.
ESPN FC's Michael Yokhin sympathised with the Chelsea manager's current predicament:
According to Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia), Bonucci's agent has already met with the Old Lady to discuss a contract extension amid the fresh rumours linking the centre-back with Chelsea.
The 29-year-old revealed there was an offer on the table from a Premier League outfit, with Manchester City also monitoring the talent, and he admitted he was tempted to accept it, per Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia):
If I said that I wasn’t tempted this summer by an offer from England, above all for the coach that wanted me, then that would be a lie.
But Juventus is my home and I am happy to have remained. My dream was to win with this shirt and now I am here, ready to improve as a player and challenge myself to make this team become a legend.
Here is the Juve defender in action:
In other Chelsea news, midfielder Nemanja Matic could be moving in the opposite direction to Bonucci as Juve consider a big-money approach.
Italian outlet CalcioMercatoWeb (h/t James Cambridge of the Express) reported the Serie A champions could table a £23 million bid for the powerful Serb.
Matic fell out of favour with former interim Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink and was linked with a switch to Italian football.
The 28-year-old featured 33 times in the Premier League last term, according to WhoScored.com, and has remained a regular pick for Conte since the advent of his tenure in west London.
Chelsea have looked dangerous in attack, but their defence has appeared weak and indecisive thus far in the campaign.
Bonucci would give Conte the leader he needs in the coming years, as John Terry enters the twilight of his career, and the Italian would be able to build from the back—as coaches traditionally from a Serie A background prefer.
Chelsea are still short of mounting a serious championship-winning drive forwards, and Conte must quickly resolve his issues at the back before further ambition is addressed.