Chelsea step up chase for 6ft1 defender, improved bid tabled

Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte has intensified his chase to bring in a central defender before the window closes, and has submitted an improved bid for AC Milan youngster Alessio Romagnoli, according to a Daily Mail report.

The 21-year-old was the subject of a £30m bid from the Blues earlier this week, which was subsequently rejected by the Italian giants.

After a meeting with club officials from the South London side on Wednesday, the former Juventus manager has upped his offer for the Italy U21 international to £35m.

The San Siro based outfit are reportedly reluctant to sell the defender, having only arrived from Roma last summer for a fee of £21m.

The former Sampdoria man made 41 appearances for the Serie A side last season, with comparisons being drawn between him and Alessandro Nesta and Thiago Silva.

A central defender has been top of Conte’s list since securing deals for striker Michy Batshuayi and defensive midfielder N’Golo Kante, with Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly being the top target, however there is some doubt over whether or not a deal can be reached with the Serie A runners up.