Report: Chelsea sets sights on £50M Alex Sandro deal

Chelsea is looking to bolster its left flank with the services of Juventus left-back Alex Sandro, and is willing to pay £50 million to acquire his signature in the January transfer window, reports John Cross of The Daily Mirror.

Manager Antonio Conte has apparently prioritised the acquisition of Sandro, doubly so as Manchester United is also believed to be interested in the Brazil international. With that competition in mind, Chelsea has "gone back in hard" for Sandro's signature, Cross writes, adding that Juventus is willing to do business. The Turin club is reportedly interested in Bayer Leverkusen's Wendell as a potential replacement.

The Blues tried to pry Sandro away last summer; Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta confirmed the Italian outfit received a "substantial offer" from Chelsea in June. By the end of July, the club's stance had changed, and manager Massimiliano Allegri outright denied a sale, declaring: "Alex Sandro is a Juve player, he's extraordinary, and he's not moving from here."

Despite that backing, Allegri hasn't been quite as fond of Sandro of late. The high-flying left-back has been limited to 11 starts in Serie A this season as he shares time with Kwadwo Asamoah out wide ... and he hasn't been sidelined with injury in that time, either.

Reports early in December indicated the 26-year-old is unhappy in Turin. According to Matt Law of the Telegraph, Sandro's relationship with key staff members has broken down and he wishes to quit Juventus. His current contract runs until June 30, 2020.