Chelsea star Nemanja Matic could be headed to Turin with Italian champions Juventus preparing an offer of around £20 million for him according to reports in the English media.
Nemanja Matic has been among the Blues’ worst performers in 2015-2016 and has largely been consigned to a place on the bench since Guus Hiddink’s arrival, with the Dutchman preferring John Obi Mikel to partner Cesc Fabregas.
The 27-year-old thrived under former manager Jose Mourinho, who brought him back to the club from Benfica in the January 2014 transfer window. Matic was a regular starter under the Portuguese boss, starring in the Blues’ Premier League triumph in 2014-15.
However, his form took a massive dip in the initial stages of this season, when the defending champions came dangerously close to the relegation zone. Matic lost his place as a regular in the Chelsea starting XI after Mourinho was sacked and replaced by Guus Hiddink.
With Italy head coach Antonio Conte set to take over as the manager of the club from the start of the 2016/17 campaign, a massive squad overhaul is set to take place at Chelsea. According to the Daily Express, Matic is set to be one of the casualties of this clear-out, with Juventus being touted as the favourites to sign the midfielder for £20 million.
Chelsea threaten to exile Solanke
The 18-year-old has created ripples at the West London club by demanding exorbitant wages as Chelsea look to tie him down to a new contract. Solanke, who currently earns weekly wages of around £7,000, has reportedly asked the club for a £50,000-a-week deal.
However, it does not look like Chelsea are in any mood to give in to Solanke’s demands. A report in The Times says that the club have served him an ultimatum, even threatening to demote him to the youth teams if he does not agree with their terms.
Solanke has made just one appearance for Chelsea so far and is currently on loan at Dutch Eredivisie club Vitesse Arnhem.
While there is little chance that Solanke will get into incoming manager Antonio Conte’s first team squad, playing with the U21 squad could prove to be detrimental to his growth as a footballer — especially after playing professional senior football at Vitesse.
Solanke might be trying to wriggle his way out of the club with his incredulous wage demands, but he still has another year to go on his current contract with the club. As such, he might end up being strong-armed into wasting a year in the reserves if a solution is not found.
