Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri wants to raid former club Napoli for full-back Elseid Hysaj with Davide Zappacosta in talks to leave the Premier League giants, claims the London Evening Standard.
Lazio are in advanced talks with Chelsea to sign Zappacosta on loan for the remainder of the season with an option to make the switch permanent in the summer.
Zappacosta was signed by Antonio Conte in 2017 but has never really featured for Chelsea and is now poised to return to Italy after just 18 months at the club.
Chelsea were heavily linked with Hysaj after appointing Sarri in the summer but Napoli categorically ruled out any players following the Italian to Stamford Bridge.
However, Hysaj has rejected new contract offers from Napoli and his current deal is due to expire in 2021, offering Sarri hope in his pursuit of the versatile full-back.
Sarri is desperate to bolster Chelsea’s squad with players more familiar of playing his style of football, but the board may need convincing to match Napoli’s £45m valuation when they already have Cesar Azpilicueta at right-back.
Hysaj has been a first-team regular at Napoli ever since joining the Serie A side in the summer of 2015, only missing 11 league matches since then.
