Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Alphonse Areola during the summer transfer window, according to Don Balon.
The Spanish outlet claims that the Italian manager has informed the club’s owner Roman Abramovich to sign the 24-year-old shot-stopper as current first-choice Thibaut Courtois has yet to commit his future to the Premier League champions.
The report claims that Conte is looking for a replacement should the Belgian decide to move to Spanish giants Real Madrid this summer and he believes Areola would be the perfect candidate.
This follows up from the story in the Telegraph where Courtois’ agent Christophe Henrotay was quoted as saying that he has held talks with Madrid’s representatives about the Belgian goalkeeper.
Areola has spent his entire footballing career at PSG but he has failed to secure a regular position in the first-team and he has been sent out on a number of loan spells.
The Frenchman enjoyed a decent campaign with La Liga side Villarreal during the 2015-16 season where he featured in 32 matches and kept a total of 17 clean sheets in all competitions.
The goalkeeper was the second-choice goalkeeper behind Kevin Trapp last season, making a total 27 appearances in all competitions and keeping 13 clean sheets in the process.
Areola’s current contract with the French outfit expires in 2020.