Chelsea offered N’Golo Kante to Juventus as part of a swap deal for Matthijs de Ligt in the summer, according to reports.
Throughout the early stages of the transfer window, de Ligt emerged as a major target for the Blues as they looked to sign new defenders for the season.
Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen had both departed Chelsea for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, leaving the west London side short of players at the back.
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Despite their efforts to try and bring the Dutchman to Stamford Bridge, de Ligt opted to sign for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
Chelsea soon brought in Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana as their new centre-backs, with Marc Cucurella also adding depth to their defence.
However, it is now clear to see that Graham Potter’s side were very keen to sign the defender, as they considered sending one of their best players the other way in order to seal a deal.
According to CalcioMercato, Chelsea offered Kante to Juventus in a proposed swap deal for de LIgt.
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Despite the attempt, the Italian side rejected the approach, and the centre-back soon left for pastures new in Germany rather than England.
The Blues were also linked with Nathan Ake early on in the window, but he remained at Manchester City despite the possibility of a return to west London.
De Ligt was not the only target Chelsea missed out on during the window.
Jules Kounde was a long-term target for the club but chose to sign for Barcelona, as did former Leeds United winger Raphinha.
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The Blues also made a last-ditch move for Everton striker Richarlison, but the Brazilian moved to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur instead.
He recently confirmed that Chelsea made an offer for him, saying: “I know Chelsea made an offer, and I believe Arsenal also contacted Everton to ask about my situation, but Spurs came in and paid the fee, you know?
"It’s as simple as that. Everton had to sell some players to avoid a Financial Fair Play problem, and the negotiations were very brief, to be honest.
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“I was on holiday in Brazil when I heard that Tottenham had made Everton an offer.
"I was happy because they are a huge team. Then it was all about the clubs negotiating a deal, and fortunately, everything went well.
"Antonio Conte called me during the negotiations and expressed how much he’d like to have me on board – that was vital for my decision.”
Chelsea could be active in the market once again come January, with Ajax’s Edson Alvarez being a target for the window.
Topics: Chelsea, NGolo Kante, Matthijs De Ligt, Juventus
Robert Calcutt