Antonio Conte is hoping to make Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan his first signing when he takes over as Chelsea boss ahead of next season, according to British media.
Nainggolan has attracted the interest of EUrope's top clubs after a string of convincing performances for Roma this season -- and the Italian powerhouse are not willing to part with him cheaply.
The Guardian suggests the 27-year-old is likely to command a fee in the region of €35 million (NZ$58.6 million), with Chelsea currently willing to pay around €10 million less than that.
Roma's sporting director Walter Sabatini is believed to have travelled to London yesterday to begin negotiations with Chelsea over the Belgian international's services.
New Blues manager Conte is thought to be a huge admirer of Nainggolan, who has earned 18 caps for his country -- and he is also keeping an eye on his teammate, Kostas Manolas.
The Greek centre back nearly moved to Stamford Bridge last year, but Roma were not able to find a suitable replacement and pulled out of the deal.
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