The Blues look set to bring in Porto’s Otamendi next summer.
Despite the likes of AC Milan and Barcelona showing interest, it is Chelsea that have won the race to sign FC Porto defender Nicolas Otamendi, according to Spanish daily Marca.
The Portuguese champions have accepted that the Argentine will be leaving the club next summer, but negotiations with Barca and Milan led nowhere.
Blues boss Jose Mourinho is a huge admirer of Otamendi and upon learning the availability of the centre-back, specifically asked that the club sign the 25-year-old.
The Argentina international has been with Porto for a little over three years after joining from Velez Sarsfield in the player’s home country.
Since then Otamendi has won a trio of successive league titles and the Europa League – under the guidance of current Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas.
Although the South American generally operates in central defence, the Argentinian can also play as a right-back.
Both Mourinho and the west London club have a history of signing stars from Porto, with Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho and Jose Bosingwa all arriving at Stamford Bridge from Portugal in the past.
With captain John Terry approaching the end of the 32-year-old’s career and becoming increasingly less reliable at the back, it makes sense for the head coach to look out for other options.
With 15 caps for Argentina and an ever growing reputation, Otamendi is beginning to look like the perfect fit and it would be a coup to beat some of Europe’s elite to the signing of the defender.
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