Chelsea chase Steven Nzonzi after former Stoke star impressed with glittering performances for Sevilla
Leicester also looking at tough-tacking midfielder who caught eye of new Blues boss Antonio Conte
STEVEN NZONZI is a shock target for new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte.
The ex-Stoke star is on the Blues’ transfer hit-list after shining in his first season at Sevilla, where he won the Europa League.
Leicester have also been looking at the tough-tackling midfielder, 27, because they fear N’Golo Kante could quit their title-winning side.
Conte will have Nemanja Matic and John Mikel Obi when he arrives at Stamford Bridge — but the Italian is a huge fan of Nzonzi.
The Frenchman has a £21million release clause which Sevilla want met before allowing him to go. He has been a huge success since arriving from the Britannia Stadium after six years in English football.
But the ex-Blackburn midfielder is willing to consider a return to the Premier League for a title-challenging team.
He has Champions League football with Sevilla — something Chelsea cannot offer — but the La Liga side have a history of selling for a profit and would triple the £7m they paid last summer.
Meanwhile, Radja Nainggolan has confirmed the Blues want to buy him this summer.
But the Belgian midfielder, 28, is still weighing up a big-money switch to English football.
Nainggolan said: “They want to strengthen and you have a coach like Conte who has always wanted to sign me. There has been contact between the two clubs.
“But while there is no agreement reached, I’ll stay well out of it. Chelsea are a great team and it’s good to be appreciated by them.”
Nainggolan has spent his whole senior career in Italy — playing for Piacenza, Cagliari and now Roma.
And he admits it will be difficult to leave Serie A, even to link up with countrymen Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois at Stamford Bridge.
He said: “I am very happy at Roma. They appreciate what I do for the club, everyone likes me as a player and a person, so that’s very important to me.
“I lead a good life here and there is a nice balance between my football and my family life.
“It would be a very difficult choice to leave Italy after 11 years.”