Transfer rumors: Juventus reject Chelsea’s bid for Alex Sandro

Chelsea reportedly made a sizable offer for left-back Alex Sandro, but Juventus are holding on to the Brazilian, for now.

Juventus general manager Giuseppe Marotta told Correire della Sera Juventus rejected a sizable bid from Chelsea for left-back Alex Sandro. While Marotta didn’t reveal the specific bid Chelsea submitted, it was likely well north of the £55 million they value him at.

As reigning Premier League champions, Chelsea are hoping for a better title defense than they managed in 2015-16. Owner Roman Abramovich is giving Antonio Conte the money he needs to build a squad that can compete at home and in Europe. Not surprisingly, Sandro is a player Conte values. He brings pace and offensive ability, but is also a capable and hardworking defender.

The Brazilian would be a terrific addition to Chelsea at the left wing-back position. He would instantly challenge, if not surpass, incumbent Marcos Alonso. As a wing-back, pace and stamina are essential as they work up and down the pitch. Sandro would be ideal, and would allow Chelsea to rotate their defense around more. This ability may be vital with Champions League as well as a title defense next season.

Juventus are in a catch 22, however. They clearly don’t want to lose a player of Sandro’s caliber, but they would be foolish to prevent Chelsea from overpaying for him. If Chelsea make an outlandish bid, or if Sandro expresses a desire to leave, Juve would likely comply.

Next: Top 25 players in Champions League history

For fans and staff alike, things are getting tense regarding Chelsea’s lack of summer signings so far. There are rumors of Romelu Lukaku returning and James Rodriguez leaving the bench at Real Madrid to move to Chelsea. Chelsea have the financial backing and a steady presence at manager (aka not Jose Mourinho); now they just need to get the players to agree.