Chelsea on course to beat Juventus to Real Madrid defender

Chelsea have entered the race to sign Real Madrid defender Danilo as Antonio Conte seeks reinforcement at right-back, reports MARCA.

The European champions have no desire to sell Danilo but will ultimately listen to what the player wants after enduring a mixed time at the club since joining from Porto in 2015.

Juventus had been heavily linked with a move for the Brazil international but their interest seems to have cooled following the impending arrival of Douglas Costa from Bayern Munich.

The Old Lady are only allowed to sign two non-EU players per season and Costa’s arrival would end Juventus’ pursuit of Danilo having already signed Rodrigo Bentancur from Boca Juniors.

Max Allegri’s side were also not willing to match Madrid’s €35m (£31.2m) valuation for the 25-year-old, paving the way for Chelsea to have a clear run at the right-back.

Chelsea manager Conte used Victor Moses in an unfamiliar right wing-back position, and while he was a relative success in that position, it’s an area of the pitch that needs attention and an upgrade should be sought if they are to compete in Europe next season.

For more stats on Danilo, click here to visit his WhoScored player page