According to La Opinion De Malaga, Manchester City star Martin Demichelis wants a return to former club Malaga; whilst The Sun report that Antonio Conte will be handed a £130million budget for his first transfer window at Chelsea.
The veteran defender has made nearly 100 appearances across all competitions since being brought to the Etihad by former Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini – by way of a few months at Atletico Madrid – in summer 2014. But now 35 years of age and partly culpable for City’s poor defensive displays this season, he looks set to leave the Citizens when his contract expires this summer.
According to La Opinion De Malaga, the Argentina international’s preference is to return to La Rosaleda on a free transfer. Demichelis is aware a second spell would differ from his first with Malaga, when he was one of the first names on the team-sheet, but the debt-ridden club are in need of cheap defensive reinforcements.
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Meanwhile, The Sun report that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is hoping a £130million transfer kitty will entice Italy boss Antonio Conte into taking the Stamford Bridge hot seat. The former Juventus manager has reportedly ‘agreed a deal in principle‘ to take over in west London but nothing has been set in stone just yet and he could decide to continue his tenure with Azzurri.
But a £130million transfer budget would allow the 46-year-old to revive an ailing Chelsea squad and reconfigure it around his own philosophy. Amongst those expected to be targeted are Everton defender John Stones and Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal, who won three Serie A titles under Conte with the Old Lady.
The Blues infamously saw a series of bids rejected for the former last summer, whilst the latter was mooted as a potential transfer target earlier this week.