Chelsea have had an initial £17m offer for Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio but the Premier League leaders are expected to return with an improved offer, reports The Sun, via The Independent.
Marchisio previously worked under Antonio Conte during the Italian’s stint as Juventus manager and is keen to reunite with the experienced midfielder at Stamford Bridge in the summer as he seeks to bolster his squad ahead of next season.
The 31-year-old has spent his entire career at Juventus and is closing in on 400 appearances for the club but has grown frustrated by a lack of first-team football this season with Miralem Pjanic and Sami Khedira ahead in the pecking order.
Despite his advancing years, Conte has reportedly not be discouraged from their failed opening offer and Chelsea are expected to return with an improved bid in an attempt to secure his services at the end of the season.
Marchisio has only started 13 league games this season, which would represent his least involved season over the seven years at Juventus.
For more stats on Claudio Marchisio, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
