Trevoh Chalobah’s agents have arrived in Italy, and the next step in his summer move is still being fought over by Inter, Como and Chelsea. Chalobah is believed to prefer Italy, but the deal is being shaped by separate conversations, one formal bid and a club that is not shifting on price.

Italy first, but not simple

Fabrizio Romano said the defender’s agents have already arrived in Italy to hold talks with both clubs. La Gazzetta dello Sport added that Inter will hold talks with Chalobah’s agents, while the Italian side are still discussing personal terms with his camp.

The important detail is what has not happened yet. Inter have yet to table a formal offer to Chelsea, so the Italian club are still working the player side before they move on the selling club.

Como are further along on the fee side. TEAMtalk reported an opening offer worth around €27million, while Chelsea are seeking closer to €40million before they would seriously consider letting the once-capped England international leave. Chelsea’s position is also being driven by the fact that Chalobah is homegrown, which makes any sale pure profit on the books.

Chelsea's price is the hold-up

The size of the gap is the real reason this story is still alive. Como’s opening offer, listed as €27m, is a fair distance from Chelsea’s ask closer to €40m, and that is before Inter even put an offer in front of the London club.

There have already been conflicting reports around both the asking price and Como’s bid, which tells you the market is still fluid. Some reports have put Chelsea’s valuation closer to €35m, while Como’s offer has also been described elsewhere as £22million, €25million plus bonuses or €30million including add-ons. Even with that spread, the picture is the same, Chelsea want more than the first Italian approaches are prepared to pay.

Inter’s interest gives Chalobah leverage, but it also keeps the process open. If Inter decide to push, they will be doing so while still weighing other defensive options, including Nathan Aké.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →