Premier League side Chelsea are ready to battle with rivals Liverpool for the signing of Napoli defender Faouzi Ghoulam, whose contract talks with the Serie A club have stalled, according to a report on CalcioMercato.
The Algerian full-back’s current deal with Napoli expires in January and talks over a new contract have stalled after his agent, Jorge Mendes, disagreed with the club on a release clause.
The super-agent wants Ghoulam to have a release clause of about €18m, while the club think this is too low and believe that the figure should be closer to €30m.
This disagreement has put plenty of clubs on alert and Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is keeping a close eye on the situation.
The 26-year-old defender was a target for many clubs last summer but Napoli decided to hold on to one of their most consistent players over the past few years.
It is also understood that Ghoulam himself is keen to stay at the club but if the demands of his agent are not met then he will leave the Italian side.
Conte has been looking to strengthen his squad in all areas and will be considering a move for Ghoulam. If the contract extension is not signed before January then Ghoulam will be available for free.
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