Two rivals fear Chelsea approaches as Pochettino plots upgrade on struggler who wants out (original) (raw)
Chelsea have added Federico Dimarco and Theo Hernandez to their shortlist of transfer targets as they aim to upgrade their options at left-back, a report has claimed.
Dimarco plays for Inter and Hernandez for Milan, so if Chelsea’s interest is genuine, their scouts could be making several trips to San Siro. The rumours have emerged on the back of speculation that Marc Cucurella wants to leave the club in January.
Cucurella is concerned about his gametime at Chelsea and is reportedly on Real Madrid’s radar in case his situation does not improve. Even though Ben Chilwell and Ian Maatsen are still at the club, his potential departure could prompt the Blues to buy a replacement.
According to Calciomercato.it, two targets they have identified are Dimarco and Hernandez. It would seem challenging to prise either of the 25-year-olds away from clubs where they are settled, but for both Milan rivals, no player is deemed to be unsellable.
Therefore, Chelsea could test the resolve of either the Nerazzurri or the Rossoneri with a big bid for either club’s starting left-back.
That said, Dimarco has been preparing to renew his contract with Inter, recently saying: “I don’t think there will be any problems, I certainly want to renew my contract with Inter.”
Inter CEO, Beppe Marotta, also confirmed: “Dimarco proves the sense of belonging towards the club, we are happy and proud. He keeps improving and he is still very young. We’ll soon meet to discuss a contract extension.”
As things stand, the Inter academy graduate is under contract until 2026, as is Hernandez on the other side of the Milan divide.
Man City also linked with Dimarco
In Dimarco’s case, Chelsea might not be the only suitors, since there have been claims of interest from Manchester City as well. Either pursuit may become redundant if Inter can get him to commit for his prime years, as is expected.
Dimarco has played more than 100 times for Inter and has 12 caps to his name for Italy. He may have never played in the Premier League before, but he did venture outside Italy for a spell in Switzerland with Sion before.
Hernandez, for his part, played only in Spain before his move to Milan in 2019, after which he has amassed more than 170 appearances. He is also a 19-cap member of the French national team.
Another factor that may make it a struggle for Chelsea to tempt either of them to west London is the fact that they are both currently playing in the Champions League, but the Blues are not.
Meanwhile, there has been speculation about more business between Chelsea and a Serie A side, since new claims are emerging about Romelu Lukaku’s future at Roma.