Chelsea are set to battle it out with Serie A champions Juventus and Ligue 1 big money spenders PSG for the signature of Uruguay defender Alvaro Pereira.
The 26 year old right back has been targeted by Chelsea as the successor to Jose Bosingwa who has released this summer. The Blues are in desperate need of a right back as Paolo Ferreira is also expected to follow his fellow countryman Bosingwa through the door out of Stamford Bridge leaving them thin in that department. Serbian stopper Branislav Ivanovic who has frequently been asked to play at the right of defense, is eager to play at the center next season which subsequently has made the signing of a full back a top priority now.
The European Champions have been linked to plenty already this summer which includes Inter’s Maicon and Ajax’s Gregory Van der Wiel. But new Blues boss Roberto di Matteo has zeroed in on the Porto player and is expected to fight off all interest to sign him. Pereira, who is currently in his country, has a release clause of £24m in his contract but a fee in the region of £15m could prove enough to prize him away from Estadio do Dragao.
“I do not know what will happen,” Pereira is quoted as saying to Italian TV station Sky Sport 24.
“I’m still in South America and when I return to Portugal I have to talk with Porto to decide on my future. But for now I am player of Porto.”