Reports suggest Roma remain interested in signing out of favour Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah this January.
The young centre-back has made over 60 appearances for the Premier League club but has yet to play this season. His lack of game time suggests he has no place in Mauricio Pochettino’s plans.
Roma have been linked to the defender for the past month, and the most recent reports suggest they remain interested in bringing him to Serie A. Jose Mourinho is a fan of the Englishman and believes he possesses the qualities needed to adapt to Italian football.
If Chalobah were to move to Italy, he would follow in the footsteps of fellow English centre-backs Chris Smalling and Fikayo Tomori, who moved from the Premier League to Serie A. Both have been successful in Italy, and Roma fans hope a move for Chalobah has a similar outcome.
Italian newspaper suggest Roma could move for Chalobah on an initial six-month loan deal with an option to buy in the summer. That deal structure would suit Roma, but Chelsea may want a permanent deal in January to avoid future FFP issues.
Mourinho’s team have had defensive issues so far this season, conceding 21 goals in Serie A and keeping just five clean sheets in 19 games. Bringing in a young defender like Chalobah could improve them defensively.
Despite sitting 8th, some major bookmakers still have Roma at just 7/2 to make the top 4, suggesting they believe the Giallorossi can still qualify for next year’s Champions League.
Even if the Roma move doesn’t materialise, Chalobah looks sure to depart the West London club in January. Crystal Palace, Sporting Lisbon and even German champions Bayern Munich have been linked to a move for the English centre-back.
The Roma hierarchy has identified central defence as a position that needs strengthening. While Chalobah has not nailed down a starting place at Chelsea, he has shown enough promise to suggest he could develop into a quality centre-back.