Chelsea wanted Portuguese international before securing Zappacosta deal

Chelsea tried to sign Southampton right back Cedric Soares before turning their attentions to Torino’s Davide Zappacosta on deadline day, according to Record.

The Portuguese newspaper reports that the Blues approached the Saints to try and buy the 26 year old but the South Coast club said the player was not for sale.

They go on to say that Soares had a number of different clubs wanting to sign him this summer but Southampton officials reportedly told interested parties that the defender’s sale was “non-negotiable.”

After missing out on Danilo to Manchester City, Dani Alves to Paris Saint-Germain and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool, the signing of Zappacosta for a reported €28million plus bonuses would have come as some relief to manager Antonio Conte, although it must be said the new signing will have much to prove if he is to be anything other than a backup to first choice right wing back Victor Moses.