Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has confirmed that the club did make an attempt to sign Radja Nainggolan from Roma.
As quoted by the Telegraph, Blues boss Conte previewed his side’s clash against Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday night, and discussed Nainggolan.
In the past, yes, we tried to buy him. But now Nainggolan is Roma’s player and I have great respect for him and for Roma, and also for my players.
He’s a really good player. For me, one of the best midfielders. But he’s an opponent.
The Belgian international has established himself as one of Serie A’s best midfielders in recent years, and is continuing to attract interest from clubs across the continent.
It’s stated in the report that the sticking point in Chelsea’s pursuit of Nainggolan back in 2016 was the fee that the club were willing to spend on the former Cagliari man.
According to the Telegraph, the Blues made two separate offers worth £23 million and £25 million, both of which were knocked back by Roma, who value Nainggolan highly.
Conte will be hoping that the Blues’ failure to land Nainggolan will not come back to bite them when they take on Roma on Wednesday.
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