Chelsea make bid for Serie A defender, not Rugani

Chelsea are reported to have made an opening bid worth £27m to acquire the signature of Mattia Caldara from Juventus.

The 24-year-old has not made an appearance for the Old Lady since signing for them in January 2017, having been loaned back to hometown club Atalanta for an 18-month period.

Caldara is presently participating in pre-season training with the Serie A champions but his future with the club remains under consideration with both Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund vying for his services.

According to Calciomercato, the Blues have made their first bid worth £27m for the centre-back but the offer has been quickly knocked back by Juventus.

Nevertheless, they could return with an improved offer in the coming days with new manager Maurizio Sarri confirming his desire to recruit a central defender before the transfer deadline.

Chelsea have also been linked with Caldara's teammate in Daniele Rugani but there are facing a similar situation with Juventus reluctant to sanction his sale.