Chelsea transfer news: Blues eye Atalanta gem, but young full-back would cost a hefty sum

A year ago, Atalanta signed Honest Ahanor from Genoa for a fairly significant fee, even though he was still only 17 at the time.

The toung left-back has since shown huge quality, and above all, huge potential. Chelsea like what they see too. The position remains a long-term unresolved issue for the club, and interest in Ahanor is now considerable.

Honest Ahanor made his Serie A debut for Genoa at just 16 years old, and it was quite the introduction. Alberto Gilardino threw him straight in against Juventus.

He went on to make six league appearances for the club, which was enough to convince Atalanta to pay £14.5 million for him. During his first full season in senior football, he made 22 league appearances for Atalanta, covering for Bernasconi.

He showed plenty of room for improvement, but the potential is genuinely enormous. Following Italy's play-off failure, interim national team boss Baldini also showed his appreciation, handing him two appearances in friendly matches.

Chelsea interested in Atalanta talent Honest Ahanor

The question is what happens with the 18-year-old full-back this season. Bernasconi has proven himself remarkably well, despite barely anyone expecting anything from him.

On the other hand, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, there is now a serious suitor who could soon tempt Ahanor away from Bergamo. That club is Chelsea, who have already signed Marco Palestra from Atalanta for the opposite flank.

If Xabi Alonso sees Reece James as a midfielder and rotates Palestra with Gusto, or possibly Neto, at right wing-back, that side of the pitch looks well covered. But what about the left?

Jorrel Hato will get chances there, but is he really a natural fit for the position? Probably not. New signing from Vallecano, Pep Chavarria, has also made a huge step up in level and still needs to prove he can handle Chelsea's demands.

On top of that, he is not really a long-term talent bet. He is an immediate solution for the position, not a long-term option.

Ahanor won't come cheap

That is precisely why there is such strong interest in Honest Ahanor, a player who would not be expected to slot straight into the first team, but could soon reach a level compatible with Chelsea's standards.

Should the Blues sign him, it is quite possible he would then be sent out on loan to gain the necessary experience. The question, however, is how far Chelsea would be willing to go on the transfer fee.

Atalanta will not let him go for pocket change. During the summer, they have reportedly already turned down two offers from unspecified clubs, with Brighton among the names mentioned.

Right now, solving this position for the long term with a £34 million player is not a priority for Chelsea. And judging by Sanchez's performance in the opening round, it is clear that Chelsea's priority right now lies somewhere else entirely.