Chelsea are on the verge of agreeing a deal for Zenit Saint Petersburg Leandro Paredes after the midfielder agreed personal terms with the west Londoners, according to reports. Maurizio Sarri has made a new central midfielder his January priority following Cesc Fabregas’s move to Monaco, with both Paredes and Cagliari’s Nicolo Barella approached. Although Barella is Sarri’s preferred choice, he is reluctant to move mid-season, and The Mirror report that Paredes’ transfer is now the more likely after the 24-year-old agreed a contract.
Chelsea are yet to agree a fee with Zenit, though it is thought an offer of around £27million will be enough especially with Paredes ready to go on strike if the bid is rejected. The Argentine is desperate to move to Stamford Bridge and Zenit have already started the hunt to find a replacement.
Following a narrow win over Newcastle, Sarri made it clear in no uncertain terms that he wants to bring in a new midfielder as soon as possible as he looks for cover and competition for Jorginho. ‘As you have seen Jorginho was in trouble, but I didn’t have a player for that position,’ he explained after Saturday’s game.
‘I have no idea [when it will get sorted]. The club knows very well my opinion. I need a player there. It depends on the club decision. I cannot do anything more.’ Sarri knows all about Paredes from the midfielder’s time in Serie A, when he played for Roma, and his playmaking style is ideally suited to ‘Sarri-ball’.
