Swap deals appear to be the order of the day in the Premier League at the moment.
With profit and sustainability rules causing problems, a number of clubs seem to be turning towards part-exchange deals to help balance their books.
Joe Rodon and Archie Gray have just swapped places at Tottenham and Leeds respectively, while Aston Villa received two Juventus players in exchange for Douglas Luiz earlier in the window.
Now, another swap deal could be on the cards.
Indeed, speaking on the Here We Go Podcast, Fabrizio Romano has been discussing the future of Riccardo Calafiori, noting that both Chelsea and Arsenal are keen on the Italian defender.
The two London clubs are keen on Calafiori, but according to Romano, Chelsea could have an ace up their sleeve as they’re prepared to include a player in negotiations.
Chelsea ready to sign Riccardo Calafiori in a swap deal
Romano shared an update on the Chelsea and Arsenal target.
“Chelsea and Arsenal, both clubs are really interested in Riccardo Calafiori. We are not at the stage of formal proposals, but what I am hearing is that Chelsea could tempt Bologna by including a player in potential negotiations, something Chelsea have already done this summer in several cases,” Romano said.
Chelsea’s prime candidates
Chelsea have a number of players who could be used in this deal who would make a lot of sense.
Bologna look set to lose both Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee in this window, so they need a new centre-back and a new striker.
Luckily, Chelsea have a number of players in both of those positions who could be utilised in this deal.
Armando Broja, Trevoh Chalobah, Malang Sarr and David Datro Fofana are all potential candidates, and perhaps a deal for the ‘amazing’ defender could be reached if any of those players are offered alongside some cash.
