Radja Nainggolan to Chelsea: Roma director admits midfielder could be sold to fund squad revamp

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James Benge12 April 2016

Roma have admitted Chelsea target Radja Nainggolan could be sold but have warned suitors that they will have to pay a heavy price to land their midfield general.

Incoming Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has placed the Belgian international on his transfer wishlist ahead of his arrival at Stamford Bridge and is also interested in his team-mate Miralem Pjanic.

Nainggolan swiftly emerged as a key figure in Roma’s midfield on his arrival in January 2014 and has missed just four games for his club this season.

However with Roma once more falling short of Juventus in Serie A – they sit 12 points off the league leaders with six games remaining – new manager Luciano Spalletti, who replaced Rudi Garcia in January, could be keen to revamp his squad.

The £35million that Roma value Nainggolan at may aid any attempts to close the gap on Juventus and director Mauro Baldissoni has admitted that every player in the current side has their price.

“There’s nothing indispensable,” he told Mediaset Premium. “A player could be sold to bring in fresh funds and sign different figures, but it would in any case be a choice.

“We will make choices within the club with the perspective of coach and players to see how we can reinforce and improve Roma.”

The Serie A side’s director of football Walter Sabatini was photographed in London last week with the agent of Chelsea loanee Mohamed Salah, suggesting that talks between the two clubs were advancing swiftly, however Baldissoni maintains there is an innocent explanation.

“Just because someone takes a photo while you’re at Chelsea, people assumed all sorts of things,” he added. “They don’t know he could’ve visited Arsenal, Tottenham and other clubs to find out who is on the market and who isn’t.

“Besides, he was there accompanied by Mohamed Salah’s agent and that is a player we will be buying outright this summer.”

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