Blues are on the look out for a replacement for David Luiz at the back at Stamford Bridge next season.
Chelsea have now joined the race for in-demand AS Roma centre-back Mehdi Benatia, according to reports in the Daily Express.
Find out who are the most valuable players in world football.
The Morocco international has just enjoyed another outstanding campaign at the heart of the Serie A outfit’s back for, with Benatia’s impressive displays going a long way towards helping the Romans secure a second-place finish in the league behind champions Juventus.
And as a result, Premier League champions Manchester City were believed to be keen to try to lure Benatia to Eastlands for next season, with head coach Manuel Pellegrini said to be preparing a big-money offer for the central defender.
However, with the west London club having now offered Roma £18m PLUS front man Romelu Lukaku in exchange for Benatia, with the giant Belgium international understood to be valued at around the £20m mark, City will now have to at least match that bid totaling a whopping £38m in order to be able to compete with their Premier League rivals.
Benatia, 27, has a contract in the Italian capital that runs until June 2018.
SEE ALSO: The 50 best players at the 2014 World Cup.
COMMENTS