Soon-to-be Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has prioritised signing a new goalkeeper this summer, and the former Napoli boss has already seen a €60m offer rejected for AS Roma’s Alisson Becker this summer, according to reports in Italy.
The Brazil international was believed to be at the top of Liverpool and Real Madrid’s transfer radar this summer, but concerns over Thibaut Courtois’ future in west London has seen Chelsea join the race for Alisson’s signature ahead of the new campaign.
Incoming manager Sarri is known to be a huge admirer of Alisson, and transfer guru Alfredo Pedulla claims that the 59-year-old head coach has personally told the club’s hierarchy to sign a world class goalkeeper this summer.
Corriere dello Sport (via Football Italia) even claim that the Blues have already launched an opening bid of €60m for the 25-year-old ‘keeper. However, Roma are believed to have rejected the offer outright as they hold firm over their valuation of the player – believed to be €80m.
The in-demand goalkeeper was thought to be too valuable for Roma to sell this summer, but the club’s sporting director – who goes by the nickname Monchi – conceded that there is no such thing as a player who is “unsellable” at the unveiling of new signing Javier Pastore.
Although Chelsea will be confident that they could land Alisson this summer, the club are believed to be weighing up alternatives and AC Milan prodigy Gianluigi Donnarumma is considered to be a perfect option by the west London club.
Donnarumma has been tipped to reach the highest level for a number of years, but amazingly the Rossoneri star is still only a teenager. He became the youngest goalkeeper to ever start a game in the Serie A at the age of 16, and the Italy international has gone on to make 125 appearances for the club’s first team.
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