Chelsea line up £12m bid for PSV Eindhoven defender
14 July 2016 - Chelsea Football Club - Antonio Conte unveiling - Newly appointed Chelsea manager Antonio Conte poses on the pitch at Stamford Bridge with a club shirt - Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.
Chelsea are reportedly lining up a £12 million offer for PSV Eindhoven right-back Santiago Arias, according to the Sun on Sunday.
The club’s scouts watched the Colombia international at this summer’s Copa America, and will take another look at the 24-year-old, who can also play on the left-hand side, when the Dutch season gets underway next weekend.
Blues boss Antonio Conte is desperate to strengthen his defensive options this summer, and the Colombian would provide competition in the full-back positions for Cesar Azpilicueta and Branislav Ivanovic, who still has question marks hanging over him after some below-par performances last term as the club finished 10th in the Premier League table.
Arias, who has 27 caps for his country and has made 103 appearances in all competitions for PSV since joining them from Sporting Lisbon in 2013, could replace Baba Rahman, who is set to join German side Schalke on a season-long loan deal.