Italy starlet rejected January Chelsea move despite agreeing £44m deal

Chelsea had a £44million deal agreed to land a talented young midfielder in January, but the move fell through due to the player’s will, a report claims.

Cagliari starlet Nicolo Barella has recently become a regular in the Italy national side and has been linked with moves to Inter and Juventus, while there the young midfielder – described as the Sardinian Steven Gerrard – has also been frequently linked with a move to the Premier League.

Il Corriere dello Sport suggested last month that Cagliari rejected a bid from Manchester United, while Liverpool and Spurs have also reportedly registered interest.

The player has also been mentioned as a target for Chelsea, who are now seeking a replacement for Cesc Fabregas.

According to the latest shock report from Italian outlet Tutto Mercato Web, Barella could have secured a move to Chelsea in January, but chose instead to reject it.

Cagliari apparently accepted a bid of €50m (£44m) for the 21-year-old before he chose to turn down a move to Stamford Bridge in favour of staying in Italy, with Inter Milan and Juventus linked.

The Sardinian club’s sporting director Mario Passetti recently talked about a possible summer sale for Barella.

“Summer sale? Well let’s see what happens in the summer but as of now, Nicolo will be staying with us here at Cagliari,” he said.

“Nicolo seems happy here and he always trains hard and plays hard for us which is important.

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