Chelsea urged to sign £100m Arsenal target after Man Utd pull out of race

Chelsea could rival Arsenal for a summer deal (Picture: Getty)

Roberto Di Matteo has named the Premier League player he would ‘love’ Chelsea to sign for incoming manager Xabi Alonso .

Alonso visited Chelsea’s training complex in Cobham last week as he prepares to take over at Stamford Bridge in July .

The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder will expect to bring in several of his own signings in his first transfer window in charge and bolster a Chelsea side that finished just 10th in the Premier League last season.

Chelsea have been linked with several players this summer and ex-manager Di Matteo has urged the Blues to enter the race to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali .

Arsenal expressed interest in signing the Italy international in January and are keeping tabs on his situation at St James’ Park ahead of the summer transfer window.

Manchester United have also been linked with Tonali as they look to back Michael Carrick following the hugely promising start to his tenure and strengthen his options in midfield.

The Red Devils have already agreed a £35m deal to sign Brazil’s Ederson from Atalanta but are keen to bring at least one more midfielder to Old Trafford.

New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso (Picture: Getty)

Tonali has been discussed as a target alongside the likes of Mateus Fernandes, Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton, but Fabrizio Romano reported over the weekend that interest in Tonali was dwindling due to his huge price tag which stands at around £100m.

Chelsea would likely only enter the race for Tonali should Enzo Fernandez get his wish for a summer move amid interest from Real Madrid and Manchester City .

Di Matteo, who led Chelsea to the Champions League trophy, seemingly views Tonali as an ideal replacement for wantaway Argentina international Fernandez, insisting he would ‘love’ to see his compatriot arrive at Stamford Bridge.

Former Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo (Picture: Getty)

‘If Sandro Tonali is to leave Newcastle this summer… he’s someone I like a lot,’ Di Matteo told Ladbrokes . ‘I think he’s a class player. He’s a good age, too.

‘I’m not sure whether Chelsea need another player in that particular department, I suppose it would depend if someone leaves. You know, they have Enzo [Fernandez], [Moises] Caicedo, Andrey Santos and Romeo Lavia. If one of those was to leave, then maybe.

‘I would love to see him at Chelsea. But, for me, their priorities this summer should be in other areas of the pitch.’

Sandro Tonali could leave Newcastle this summer (Picture: Getty)

Discussing Chelsea’s season and transfer plans more generally, Di Matteo believes a young but talented squad would benefit from the arrival of ‘three or four’ experienced players.

‘It was an inconsistent season for Chelsea, which was certainly been disrupted by the managerial changes,’ Di Matteo added.

‘But let’s not forget there have been a couple of big injuries, too; Cole Palmer missed a big chunk of the season, and I also think Levi Colwill was hard to replace. He’s an important player at the club, and he’d formed a good partnership with Trevor Chalobah.

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‘I would keep a lot of the players in this squad though, for sure. There are some very good players in there, so it’s not as if they need to go and completely revolutionise the team this summer.

‘There’s a lot of quality there, I just think they need to add a bit of experience now. I know everybody has talked about it, but that’s what would help this team right now.

‘Especially during the tricky times, because this is a very young group, and they’re learning very quickly that there are lots of ups and downs in a season… you just need three or four players in there who can steady the ship and drag the rest along in those difficult periods.

‘These guys are a little bit vulnerable, and less experienced, which means they don’t know how to handle certain situations.

‘I think the club has even acknowledged this, and suggested they might change their strategy next season. For me, that would be the right decision to make this summer.

‘I wouldn’t necessarily say it has to be proven Premier League players who are coming in, but seasoned international players, for sure.

‘So it doesn’t need to be a Premier League player… they just need three or four players who can come in and navigate those difficult moments.’