Chelsea full-back Davide Zappacosta is on the verge of sealing a return to Italy, as he nears a season-long loan move to Serie A heavyweights AS Roma.
According to reputed Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are set to loan out full-back Davide Zappacosta to Italian outfit AS Roma for the 2019-20 season. The defender is expected to complete the move in this week, subject to a medical.
Zappacosta arrived at Chelsea from Serie A outfit Torino back in the summer of 2017. But, the Italian international hasn’t been able to establish himself as a regular at Stamford Bridge, with current captain Cesar Azpilicueta always ahead of him in the pecking order.
Till date, the 27-year-old has featured 52 times for Chelsea, scoring two goals and setting up four more. However, the right-back started just one Premier League game in the 2018-19 campaign. And with academy graduate Reece James staking a claim for a starting berth after his impressive loan spell with Wigan Athletic last season, Zappacosta’s involvement is likely to reduce further.
Moreover, Chelsea will be able to register only 17 foreign players this season in the Champions League and to that end, they have been trying to reduce the number by looking to offload unwanted players. And, with his situation far from ideal, Zappacosta is considering a move away from Stamford Bridge, with a return to Italy being his top preference.
The 27-year-old Italian had courted interest from AS Roma before along with the Giallorossi’s local rivals Lazio. And as per Fabrizio Romano, Zappacosta is close to sealing a season-long loan switch to Roma. Having loaned out Rick Karsdorp to Feyenoord this summer, the Serie A giants are left with Alessandro Florenzi as the only senior right-back in the squad.
The fact that Roma appointed Gianluca Petrachi as their new sporting director this summer is expected to have played a role in their push to sign Zappacosta from Chelsea. It was the 50-year-old who signed the right-back at Torino from Atalanta back in 2015 and seems to be keen on a reunion with him at his new club.
Zappacosta is expected to undergo a medical within this week subject to which the transfer will be made official. Should he leave on loan, he would become the 21st Chelsea player to be out on a temporary move this season.
