Chelsea are in talks with River Plate for the transfer of centre-back Emanuel Mammana, according to Transfer Market Web.
The report also suggests that Mammana’s entourage are in London to discuss a potential move with the Stamford Bridge hierarchy.
The Argentine had reportedly been in negotiations with Napoli and Fiorentina but it looks as though new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has swooped in to secure a move for the promising defender.
The 20-year-old has appeared once for the Argentina national team and is viewed by many as one of the country’s brightest young prospects since making his debut for River Plate in 2014.
Despite captain John Terry recently signing a one-year extension to stay at the Blues, the defence has been identified as an area of weakness for the club, given Terry and Gary Cahill’s age as well as Kurt Zouma’s long term injury.
It also remains to be seen whether Conte will revert to the 3-5-2 formation he utilised with great success at Juventus and would require added depth at the central defensive position.
Mammana could be viewed by Conte as a long-term successor for Terry while also adding depth for the immediate future. The defender is under contract until 2019 but has said recently:
Of course I’d love to play abroad but the only thing I am thinking about right now is playing for River.
