If reports from the British media are to be believed, Juventus star Leonardo Bonucci has accepted an offer from Chelsea FC.
Bonucci has arguably been one of the best defenders in the world over the last couple of years and has been equally impressive with his performances for the Italian national side in Euro 2016 this summer.
Italy head coach Antonio Conte, who is set to join Chelsea as their manager after the end of the Euros, has clearly been impressed by the player and has informed the West London club, that he wants Bonucci to be a part of his squad from the 2016/17 season.
While Juventus and Chelsea are yet to come to an agreement over a transfer fee for Bonucci, a report by The Sun suggests that the 29-year-old and his agent have already settled terms with Chelsea for a three-year deal worth around £130,000 per week.
According to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, this deal will be a huge improvement for Bonucci, as he currently earns only £54,000 per week at Juventus.
Conte’s three-man defence
Antonio Conte, who is set to take over as the manager of Chelsea after the end of Euro 2016, is well known as one who prefers to play the unconventional three-man defence instead of the usual four. Both Juventus and Italy employ this system.
Operating at the heart of the three-man defence, Bonucci has played a crucial part in both Juventus and Italy. While Chelsea have enough quality defenders, the Blues do not have someone as technically accomplished as Bonucci.
In Conte’s system, the defender playing in the middle of the three-man defence operates almost as a holding midfielder and acts as a link between the defence and the midfield. Chelsea need a technically accomplished defender in order to play with this system.
In the stats given above, the likes of Kurt Zouma and Gary Cahill make a lot more clearances than the Juventus man. However, Bonucci makes up for this with his superior passing ability. He is also a great interceptor of the ball making him perfect for the role.
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