Axel Witsel has been on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs for quite some time.
Just days ago, it was believed Everton had won the race to sign the Belgium international, but that move could be about to be hijacked.
The Sun are reporting that Chelsea are now on the verge of bringing the midfielder to Stamford Bridge, making him Antonio Conte’s second signing of the summer after Michy Batshuayi.
According to the newspaper, the Blues have already finalised personal terms with the player’s representatives, so all that is now left to do is to agree a fee with his current club, Russian side Zenit St Petersburg.
Witsel is certain to leave because he has just a year left on his current deal, so Chelsea are right to take advantage of the situation.
And he could be the perfect replacement for Nemanja Matic, who has been linked with a move to Italy after a disappointing 2015/2016 campaign.
Chelsea seem to have given up on Radja Nainggolan, Witsel’s international team-mate, so the Zenit star could be the perfect alternative.
It remains to be seen whether Conte will now pursue N’golo Kante as well, or whether he will now turn his attention to other areas of the squad that are in desperate need of reinforcements, particularly the defence.
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