Chelsea given hope in Sandro pursuit as Juventus hint at potential exit

Chelsea have been given hope in their pursuit of Alex Sandro after Juventus revealed no player will be held against their will despite rejecting a £55.2m offer from the Premier League champions last week.

Sandro has established himself as one of the best full-backs in Europe in the last two years and Conte is keen to raid his former club for the Brazil international in a bid to bolster his squad for next season.

Conte’s side failed with a world record bid for Sandro over the weekend and Juventus are determined to keep their best players, but director Beppe Marotta has hinted a deal could happen if the 26-year-old expresses a desire to join Chelsea.

“A substantial offer has arrived for Sandro,” he told Mediaset Premium, via Football Italia. “We have no intention of selling anyone, but if a player decides to leave, as has happened in previous years, then at the end of the day he has to go, because we don’t keep anyone against their will.

“But at the moment there are no such situations and I hope nobody will leave.”

Juventus paid €26m to sign Sandro from Porto in 2015 and now the Serie A champions can expect to receive a world record fee for a defender if he wants to join Chelsea.

No side has paid more than £50m for a defender since Paris Saint-Germain made a breathtaking move for Chelsea’s David Luiz in 2014, although that milestone is expected to be broken at one point this summer with Tottenham right-back Kyle Walker and Southampton centre-back Virgil Van Dijk among those linked with moves away from their current clubs for more than £50m.

Sandro finished last season as Juventus’ highest rated player in the league (7.63) after playing a direct hand in seven goals in 27 appearances.

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