Chelsea have lodged an official offer with Fiorentina for highly rated Croatia international Milan Badelj, as they look to set up a deal to sign him in the winter transfer window.
The 27-year-old defensively minded midfielder is a player well known to Chelsea boss Antonio Conte due to his spell in Italy with Fiorentina, which kicked off in 2014 with a move from Bundesliga club Hamburg.
Chelsea are now starting to do the legwork to put an agreement in place to sign Badelj in the new year, as Conte looks to strengthen his options in the middle of the park.
According to Italian broadcaster Premium Mediaset, Chelsea have now put in an official offer for the midfielder, although it is unknown just how close the bid is to Fiorentina's €12m asking price.
Chelsea and Fiorentina are claimed to enjoy an excellent relationship, leading to optimism that a deal can be struck.
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The Blues did business with La Viola in the summer transfer window as they signed wing-back Marcos Alonso, who has already cemented a spot in the side at Stamford Bridge.
Badelj started his career in the youth ranks at Dinamo Zagreb before progressing to the club's first team.
He joined Hamburg in 2012 and has 25 caps for Croatia to his name.
