Exclusive: Chelsea rivalling Man City and other major Euro giants for midfielder transfer

Posted Friday, November 08, 2024 by

Chelsea and Manchester City are among the clubs showing an interest in the potential transfer of highly-rated Torino midfielder Samuele Ricci.

The Italy international looks a class act after shining in Serie A and it makes sense that there’s plenty of interest in him at the moment, and not just from the Premier League.

Sources with a close understanding of Ricci’s situation have informed CaughtOffside that along with Chelsea and Man City, there is also interest from Real Madrid, and perhaps even stronger interest from Inter Milan.

It remains to be seen if we’ll see Ricci look to stay in Italy or move abroad, but one imagines Torino would much rather avoid selling him to a rival if possible.

That could benefit the likes of Chelsea, who would likely do well to bring in someone in that area of the pitch after Enzo Fernandez’s struggles at Stamford Bridge.

Samuele Ricci in action for Torino

Samuele Ricci to Chelsea to replace Enzo Fernandez?

Chelsea have invested a lot in some big names in recent times, with Fernandez up there with their most expensive acquisition.

Still, with every passing game, it seems all the clearer that the Argentina international hasn’t really delivered in his time in west London, or lived up to the hefty price tag that brought him to the club from Benfica.

Ricci looks like he could be an upgrade, and his contract situation at Torino could mean he’s available for a reasonable price.

The 23-year-old’s current deal expires in the summer of 2026, and CaughtOffside understands Torino could ask for around €40million to let him go, which looks like a bit of a bargain in this market, and a fraction of what CFC paid Benfica for Fernandez.

Fernandez has been linked with Real Madrid by Sacha Tavolieri in recent times, so he could be an alternative to Ricci for the Spanish giants, which could again play nicely into Chelsea’s hands.