Chelsea dealt another blow as their long-term target Radja Nainggolan has refuted any claims of his rumoured departure from AS Roma. The Belgian midfielder has become one of the most top rated midfielders in Europe and a number of clubs are vying for his signature with Chelsea leading the race.
The 29-year-old made a long commitment to the Italian club by signing a new long-term contract earlier this year which extended his stay at the club till 2021. Chelsea’s interest in the player is known to all but the Blues will keep their options open following Nainggolan’s brief explanation on his future.
Diego Simeone dubbed the player as ‘extraordinary’ and when the midfielder was asked to comment on that he steadily replied, “These are lovely words, but I am focused on Roma.
“I think I made the choice I was happy with last year and the year before.
“I am happy to represent this team, I live happily off the field and I see absolutely no reason to change that.”
Conte had tried to bring the midfielder as he had been trying to heal the ache, which was caused by the departure of Nemanja Matic. The Blues surprised everyone when they decided to sell Nemanja Matic to their rival Manchester United for a sum of £40m.
Nainggolan was the preferred choice for the Italian manager but he failed to reach a deal with him and instead ended up bringing Danny Drinkwater and Tiemoue Bakayoko at the Stamford Bridge.
He also was one of the priority targets for Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho as the gaffer was bowled over with his performance in the midfield. But none of the English clubs succeeded in securing his signature as the Belgian international went on to put pen to paper on a brand new deal.
However, Chelsea are unlikely to give up and might try AS Roma’s resolve in January. The Belgian player can empower the midfield with his strong determination and vision of the game.
He has also scored some long-range scorchers, so Conte knows he would be getting a gem of the player if he manages to pull out a coup. Nainggolan would command a much higher fee than the other midfielders available in the market but he could be a very sound investment given his growing stature.
But roping him could be a big task as Roma would be very reluctant to let go of one of their most accomplished players.
