Chelsea increase their offer for Radja Nainggolan to £30million but midfield ace still wants to remain with Serie A giants Roma
Antonio Conte has told Blues chiefs to sign Belgian 'whatever the cost' but could be left empty-handed this summer
CHELSEA have reportedly increased their offer for Radja Nainggolan to £30million, but the midfielder has once again reiterated his desire to stay at Roma this summer.
New Blues boss Antonio Conte is hoping to land the dynamic box-to-box midfielder as he bids to land the title in his maiden Premier League season.
Stars including Willian and Nemanja Matic have been linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge, and questions marks remain over the futures of Eden Hazard and Oscar.
Conte is reportedly planning to implement a 3-5-2 formation which he is currently using with Italy at Euro 2016, and lung-buster Nainggolan would be perfectly suited to his high-intensity game.
Chelsea are believed to have already failed with two bids for the Belgium international, the last one said to be around the £26m mark.
But Italian daily claims Conte is not giving up on Nainggolan without a fight and has submitted a new bid worth just over £30m after apparently telling Chelsea chiefs: “I want the Belgian, whatever the cost.”
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The report adds the tactician wants to pair Nainggolan with Leicester ace N’Golo Kante in west London, but Roma could spoil Conte’s plans by offering the 28-year-old a lucrative new contract.
And Nainggolan has once again insisted he has no plans to leave Roma, adding he ‘became a man’ playing Serie A football.
Speaking in the wake of Belgium’s 4-0 last-16 win against Hungary on Sunday, Nainggolan told reporters: “I just do not know how it will evolve.
“For now I can only say that I’m in Rome and I’m happy to stay there. In Italy I became a man and I’m not one of those who often changes teams.
“Now I’m just concentrating on the Euros and then we’ll see [what happens].”
One aspect which could be putting Nainggolan off a potential move to Chelsea is Conte’s strict disciplinarian approach.
National boss Marc Wilmots recently revealed the star is a smoker who ‘breaks down doors’ if he doesn’t get his nicotine fix, and Conte is unlikely to tolerate Nainggolan’s habit should a transfer occur.