Five stars Chelsea can swap in Riccardo Calafiori transfer as Arsenal advantage emerges

Chelsea will reportedly have an advantage over Premier League rivals Arsenal in their pursuit of Riccardo Calafiori by offering players to Bologna in exchange. The Blues have an excess of players on their books who could be offered to sweeten a deal with the Italian side. Express Sport takes a look at who Chelsea might decide to offer.

Trevoh Chalobah

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano reports that Chelsea may be able to tempt Bologna into the sale of the centre-back Calafiori by including a player in exchange. The Italian side, who have qualified for the Champions League, might want a direct replacement for the 22-year-old.

Trevoh Chalobah excelled in the second half of last season but it is unclear whether he fits into Enzo Maresca’s plans. Chalobah’s older brother, Nathaniel, enjoyed a spell in Serie A with Napoli and might provide a good reference for the league.

Wesley Fofana

If Chelsea sign another defender then Wesley Fofana may be left wondering where his game time will come. The Frenchman is a forgotten figure at Stamford Bridge having missed the entirety of last season through injury.

Fitness issues have limited Fofana to just 20 appearances since he joined Chelsea in 2022. Former boss Mauricio Pochettino expected the 23-year-old to be fit for pre-season, but there could be a possibility where the defender departs before then.

Bologna would jump at the chance of signing Fofana, who excelled at Leicester before his £70m switch to West London.

Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling needs to kickstart his career away from Stamford Bridge and a spell in Italy could be beneficial. The England forward would be playing in the Champions League at Bologna, not a claim he could make if he remains at Chelsea.

It remains to be seen if Maresca plans to use Sterling, or whether the 29-year-old will make way to accommodate Chelsea’s younger attacking options.

Cesare Casadei

Young midfielder Cesare Casadei could be tempted by a return to Italy. Chelsea signed the 21-year-old from Inter Milan in 2022 but he finds some of the world’s best talent ahead of him in midfield.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s arrival from Leicester will only drop Casadei further down the pecking order. Bologna might be keen on the arrival of the Ravenna-born star.

Romeo Lavia

The same could be said for Romeo Lavia, who endured an injury-hit season following his £45m move from Southampton. Chelsea see Lavia as a player for the future and are unlikely to want to relinquish him permanently.

However, the Blues might be tempted to offer the 20-year-old to Bologna in a loan deal. Lavia would earn regular game time in Italy, which would help him kickstart his development after a frustrating 12 months.