Chelsea Ready to Sign New World Class Defender, Not John Stones

Signing a centre-back has been on the top agendas for Chelsea since last summer transfer window. The Blues tried aggressively to sign Everton defender John Stones, but their attempts were turned down by the Toffees.

The West London club plan to bring in a centre-back in the upcoming transfer window, and the reports suggest that they won’t be pursuing Stones anymore. Daily Mail claims that Pep Guardiola-led Man City are the favourites to sign Stones in the summer, and Chelsea have turned their heads to other targets.

According to the report, Crystal Palace defender Scott Dann has become one of the primary targets for the Blues.

Dann has impressed with his performances since moving to Crystal Palace in 2014. The 29-year old singed a five-year contract extension with the Eagles last summer, and the club is expected to demand a huge fee for their player.

The Eagles are likely to demand a £20 million for their defender considering that he still has four years left on his contract.

The report claims that Chelsea are not prepared to shell out this amount on a player who is in the latter stages of his career. However, the Blues are expected to make a lower bid for the player once the transfer window kicks on.