According to Gazzetta dello Sport Roma have submitted a €25 (£21m) million bid for Atalanta’s midfielder Franck Kessie.
Chelsea, Juventus, Manchester United, PSG and Inter Milan have all been credited with an interest in Kessie who has scored six goals for Atalanta this season.
However, it is Roma who have acted first by submitting a bid for the midfielder in an attempt to avoid being dragged into a summer bidding war.
Nonetheless, the player’s agent, George Atangana, will be visiting London to negotiate with Premier League clubs with Atalanta demanding a €30 (£25m) million fee.
Kessie returned from duty at the African Cup of Nations early after the holders Ivory Coast suffered a shock exit from the tournament.
There is certainly room within in Chelsea’s squad for the Ivorian powerhouse. Chelsea have already seen a number of January departures from Stamford Bridge with Oscar moving to Shanghai and Mikel ending his 10 and half year stay with the Blues to move Tianjin.
However, whether the Blues will choose to rival Roma in the final days of the window or wait until the summer will remain to be seen.
