Chelsea manager Maresca reportedly 'crazy about' signing the highly rated defender but recent developments regarding the player's future might upset supporters.
Chelsea have undoubtedly assembled a highly talented attacking lineup as they signed Alejandro Garnacho, Liam Delap, João Pedro, Estêvão and other future stars who have delivered on various occasions for manager Enzo Maresca.
But at the same time the club will need to address their defence as soon as possible, even more so seeing as the season-ending injury of Levi Colwill is already a massive blow to the squad.
The club management has repeatedly denied any potential activity during the winter transfer window after their spending spree during the summer. However, Chelsea could be looking to sign a reputed defender this winter in order to strengthen their squad on the backline.
Chelsea are currently linked with a few defenders, Bayern Munich's Cassiano Kiala being chief among them as his father recently held talks with the club management. Maresca would like to bring in a player who would make an immediate impact. According to multiple reports, Chelsea have set their sites on a proven defender in the form of Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan.
As reported by FC Inter News, Maresca is 'crazy about' signing the 26-year-old Italian in the upcoming transfer window but the clubs is not the only one in pursuit of Bastoni's signature as Tottenham Hotspurs and Barcelona FC are also interested in signing the player.
However, Chelsea supporters may find it upsetting that Bastoni has reportedly rejected both Spurs' and Chelsea's offers and is currently holding talks with Inter for a contract renewal as their current agreement runs out in 2028.
Bastoni also rejected offers from Saudi Arabia during the summer of 2025 as he wants to continue playing for the Italian side since signing with the club in 2017.
This recent development will certainly hurt Chelsea's intent of signing a world class defender in January. But the club is well known for not being content when the squad needs improvement ahead of a transfer window.
Chelsea;s former captain John Terry has postulated on the idea of bringing back club legend and 37-year-old Thiago Silva to the squad. Silva would be an excellent addition to the locker room for his leadership and buffer between players and manager.