Radja Nainggolan to Chelsea: Blues to seal £31m deal for Roma’s Belgian star

Simon Johnson27 April 2016

Chelsea are on the verge of signing Roma’s Radja Nainggolan in a £31million deal.

Standard Sport revealed last month that Nainggolan was discussing a potential move to Stamford Bridge, but talks have moved on a stage this week to secure the Belgium midfielder.

Nainggolan still has four years left on his contract at Roma, which is worth around £48,000-a-week.

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However, Chelsea are prepared to offer a five-year deal and a significant pay-rise which will see him at least match the £70,000-a-week Nemanja Matic receives. It is understood that the financial terms Chelsea are offering, as well as the chance to play for new manager Antonio Conte, will be hard for Nainggolan to refuse.

Chelsea want to learn from their mistakes of last summer and are determined to get their close season deals done much earlier — preferably before Euro 2016 gets underway, so as to avoid increased competition should a player impress and spark a rise in their value.

Roma have virtually secured their place in the next season’s Champions League next term and the club’s director of football, Walter Sabbatini, claims Chelsea still face a fight to buy Nainggolan, who turns 28 next week. Asked if he was aware of Conte’s interest in Nainggolan, Sabbatini said: “I don’t know, I’ve never spoken to Conte. Nainggolan is a universal midfielder, so strong in every area of the game that he is wanted by many clubs.”

Chelsea may have a harder task in convincing Roma to part with another of their prized assets, Miralem Pjanic.

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The highly-rated Bosnia international has yet to sign an extension on his contract, which expires in 2018, and Chelsea are considering making a £30m bid. But Sabbatini insists Roma do not want to lose the creative midifelder, adding: “He is 26 and has Roma on his shoulders.”

Chelsea Under-18s will be attempting to clinch their fifth FA Youth Cup in seven years at Stamford Bridge this evening. They drew the first leg against Manchester City 1-1 last Friday.

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