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Chelsea Transfer News: Alex Sandro Reportedly Agrees Blues Deal, Latest Rumours

Gianni Verschueren

Juventus full-back Alex Sandro has reportedly agreed to a deal with Chelsea, as rumours of his pending move to England continue to mount.

According to Calciomercato.com's Nicola Balice, Sandro has turned down a contract extension from the Bianconeri, as he's keen on the move. Per Nizaar Kinsella and Romeo Agresti of Goal, Chelsea will have to break their club-record fee to land the Brazilian, paying roughly £60 million.

Per Balice, Sandro "has already made it clear that he wants to leave Juventus and join Chelsea." Club director Beppe Marotta previously told reporters that's exactly what he had to do for the move to go through, per Simon Jones of MailOnline.

It's an enormous fee for a full-back, but, per beIN Sports' Matteo Bonetti, the Blues are investing in quality:

Juventus tend to turn down any transfer offers for their stars unless the players ask for a move, and even then they hold out for big fees. Last year, Manchester United had to break the transfer record to bring back Paul Pogba.

Per David Amoyal, a translator for Gianluca Di Marzio, the ball is very much in Sandro's hands, and these latest reports indicate he's made his wish clear:

The 26-year-old joined the Old Lady from FC Porto in 2015 for €26 million (£22.8 million) and has established himself as one of the world's best in his position since. Last season, he played a crucial role in the team's run to the UEFA Champions League final.

He can play as a left-back in a traditional formation or the wing-back spot in a 3-4-3, the system manager Antonio Conte loved to run at Chelsea last year. He even has some experience as a pure winger, where he can showcase his attacking potential.

As you can see in the video below, he's not limited to defending:

Sandro should beat Marcos Alonso for the starting position on the left side of the pitch should he move to west London, and the two would give Conte plenty of options and depth.

A transfer seems likely at this point, although Bleacher Report's Adam Digby urged Juventus fans not to panic just yet:

While losing such a star player would hurt, the proposed fee of roughly £60 million is an enormous amount for a full-back, a position not traditionally regarded as a priority. It's money Juventus could reinvest in a squad that was good enough to reach the Champions League final last year and has other options on the left flank.

Leonardo Spinazzola was one of the breakout performers in Serie A last season, spending the year on loan at Atalanta. He could be brought back from Bergamo ahead of schedule, with Juventus hoping he can replicate the form he showed for Italy's national team.

Value is always the keyword in the club's transfer dealings, and such a monstrous fee for a full-back would present the kind of value that is simply too good to pass up.

   

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