Chelsea’s title surge will see them lure some of the best players in Europe to London this summer but Antonio Conte is also keeping an eye on fringe players who can come good at the Stamford Bridge in the future. The Blues coach has some serious talent in his first team and is looking all around for players who can improve the depth and one player right up the wish-list is Diego Laxalt.
The player recently revealed that he is flattered by the interest from Chelsea and that he is ready to move to England and it is now understood that Conte will make a £15m bid, which might be enough to steal him away this summer.
A left-midfielder, who can also play as a winger, Laxalt is expected to be used as a wing-back by Conte. Italian star Marcos Alonso is the only senior option in the squad in this position for Chelsea and Laxalt will be a superb addition this summer.
Having made a permanent move to Genoa at the start of the season from Inter Milan, Laxalt managed to cement a place in the first team Stadio Luigi Ferraris and has a goal and three assists in 37 games in all competitions this season. He has mostly been used as a left-midfielder and has played a similar role for the Uruguay national team, where he made his first senior appearance earlier this season.
Capable of those bombarding runs into the opposition box, Laxalt is a bundle of energy that is useful at both ends of the field. He is a beast of a defender who loves the physical part of the game, yet he is more than capable of dribbling past opponents into dangerous areas.
He is strong with his defending and his concentration levels are what will have attracted Conte. At just 24, he is already showing improvement in every season he has played and it does not come as a surprise that the Italian boss wants him at Chelsea next season.
As already mentioned, Marcos Alonso, who has done a decent job this season, is expected to be the first choice next season as well, but he has no backup whatsoever, making Laxalt a necessity. He is more than capable of adding to Chelsea’s solidity at the back and though he may not be as adventurous as Alonso, the Uruguay star will surely help them see out games in other competitions next season.
