Chelsea and Zenit’s valuations for Leandro Paredes are lately 10 million euros (£9 million/$11 million) after the Blues were asked to increase their bid for the midfielder to 40 million euros (£36 million/$46 million).
Goal understands that the Premier League club’s initial strategy for Paredes €30m (£27m/$34m), and the proximity of the two valuations means there could soon be a positive final result for the Argentina international.
Paredes, who took medical tests with Zenit on Monday after a winter break in the Russian Premier League, is pointed out by Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri as an ideal player to update Jorginho.
Sarri is keen to find a replacement for Cesc Fabregas, who was allowed to make a loose move to Monaco on Friday, after a deal was reached earlier this month.
Fabregas made his Monaco debut in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Marseille and the functionality clauses mean Chelsea could earn 10 million pounds ($13 million) over the course of his three-and-a-half-year contract.
Chelsea beat Newcastle 2-1 on Saturday, but Jorginho struggled to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge, which Sarri admitted after the match.
The Chelsea manager also said he would have replaced Jorginho had Fabregas been worried and called his lack of characteristics for the midfielder’s centre-back the weakness of late.
“If Fabregas was on the bench, I think at this moment Fabregas would be on the pitch instead of Jorginho,” Sarri said on Saturday.
“In the long run [we can see Ethan Ampadu there], but we have to work. Playing as a central midfielder in our team is not easy, we have to see and see and see in education with him.
“The player who plays in that position touches the ball about 120 or 130 times and I think we want a specialist there. I think he’s capable of doing that. “
Chelsea have other conditions in January’s move window, as striker Alvaro Morata can be replaced by Gonzalo Higuain, but ongoing talks remain complicated.
Callum Hudson-Odoi’s long career is dubious after a 35 million pound ($45 million) bid from Bayern Munich turned the 18-year-old’s head around, but Chelsea’s hopes of convincing the youngster to stay led him to a deadlock that could end. for many months.