€30m defender impresses Chelsea scouts with dominant showing in the biggest game of his career

We’ve almost reached the end of the first round of fixtures at Euro 2024, and there’s no doubt that Riccardo Calafiori has been one of the most impressive and widely praised players so far.

Italy conceded in the first minute against Albania from a horrible mistake that the Bologna man had nothing to do with, but then Luciano Spaletti’s team really stepped it up, and Calafiori was utterly imperious at the back.

It was good day for him to impress – CaughtOffside report that Chelsea had scouts at the game sent by new coach Enzo Maresca to run the rule over the 22 year old who looks likely to be one of the hottest properties in football in the windows to come if he continues to impress.

He’s valued at €30m already by Transfermarkt, and we can see that rising rapidly with every good performance he puts in.

A hard transfer to make happen – in the short term

As it stands, we simply can’t see Chelsea signing another central defender. Even with Thiago Silva having left, we’ve got so many options at the back now. New man Tosin Adarabioyo has already arrived from Fulham on a free transfer, and he joins Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Axel Disasi, Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana as first team options. Then there’s Alfie Gilchrist and Bashir Humphreys pushing up from the youth team as potential bench options.

Spending major money on another defender just doesn’t feel like the move that these sporting directors are going to make, especially considering they seem determined to buy a striker and another winger.

Anything can happen, and we’re sure there’s plenty of truth in the idea that we’re at least watching Calafiori, but we’re not expecting a move this summer. On the other hand, if Chalobah is sold and Gilchrist and Humphreys loaned – it might just be possible.