Chelsea have reportedly made moves to sign Hungarian centre-half Attila Szalai with many of their own defenders facing uncertain futures with the contracts of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen winding down
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Chelsea’s move for Fenerbahce defender Attila Szalai is a “done deal” according to Hungary boss Marco Rossi.
Szalai works with Rossi at international level and played in all three of Hungary’s Euro 2020 games.
The 23-year-old has not yet been at the Turkish side for 12 months, but has attracted attention from Europe’s top sides.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel has a host of defenders to pick from at Stamford Bridge with Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen among them.
The latter of those two, as well as Cesar Azpilicueta, are all going to be out of contract within the next 18 months.
It leaves Chlesea in a precarious position, but Rossi claims Szalai’s move to west London has already been sealed.
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He was quizzed on which Hungary players would star in Serie A and told Calciomercato : “It’s hard to name just one player, but right now I see very well Attila Szalai, who plays for Fenerbahce, but I think he is joining Chelsea.
“Clearly, he has been followed by important clubs in Spain, but apparently his move to Chelsea is a done deal. He would be a great player also for Italian football.”
Rudiger has become a key figure at Chelsea and is a player they currently stand to lose in the summer if an agreement is not found.
The German has attracted attention from some of Europe’s heavyweights, with Real Madrid among them, and is seeking a huge pay day.
At 28 he is seeking one final big contract with wages potentially a sticking point in London, but Tuchel is hoping a deal can be struck
He said recently: “For me, he is a big competitor and he is in exactly the right spot. He is in the most competitive league and at a club where winning matters, so let’s be a bit patient and hopefully we have a happy end.”
Christensen, who has made six Premier League appearances, is another man whose future is uncertain.
Tuchel recently dropped the Dane as his contract talks rumble on, but insists it is on the player to sort out his playing time and future.
He said: “It is on Andreas to act. How he acts on the pitch, he needs to act off it and walk the talk because he tells us that he loves Chelsea.
“He tells us that he wants to stay because he is a big part of a big club. I think he is a perfect fit and I think that he is not done here.
“His career here is, by far, not finished. But, like I said, it’s on him. We want the commitment and hopefully we get it.”
Azpilicueta’s current deal is due to expire when the current campaign ends.
The Spaniard, now 32, moved to the Blues way back in 2012.
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