Chelsea's £43.2m defender bid 'politely rejected' as Enzo Maresca suffers setback in key transfer mission

Inter Milan have 'politely declined' an offer of €50m (£43.2m) from Chelsea for Italian centre-back Alessandro Bastoni, according to a report.

The Blues registered a clean sheet on their opening game of the 2024-25 Premier League season against Crystal Palace in Sunday's goalless draw, although they survived a major scare when Eberechi Eze's free kick was disallowed.

Enzo Maresca fielded a central pairing of Josh Acheampong and Trevoh Chalobah following Levi Colwill's devastating ACL injury, which could keep the England international out for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, and a new concern to fellow defender Tosin Adarabioyo.

Wesley Fofana was an unused substitute on Sunday after battling back from his own hamstring concern, but the injury-plagued Frenchman cannot be trusted to stay fit for the entirety of a Premier League season.

As a result, a new centre-back is being tipped to arrive at Stamford Bridge, and Maresca has suggested that he wants to bring in a fresh face from elsewhere rather than find solutions internally.

Inter 'politely reject' Chelsea transfer bid for Bastoni

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta, the Blues submitted a £43.2m offer for Inter and Italy centre-back Bastoni, but it was 'politely' turned down by last season's beaten Champions League finalists.

Whether the Blues go back in with another bid for the 26-year-old remains to be seen, but Inter are under no real pressure to let him leave without an astronomical transfer fee.

The Nerazzurri have Bastoni under contract for another three years thanks to an extension he signed in 2023, and they could already lose one other centre-back in Benjamin Pavard, who is on the radar of Galatasaray, Lille and clubs in the Saudi Pro League.

Meanwhile, Francesco Acerbi is 37 and will become a free agent at the end of the season, while 33-year-old Stefan de Vrij is in the same boat, but 1999-born Bastoni is only just entering his prime.

The former Atalanta BC talent has come up with six goals and 24 assists in 258 appearances for the Nerazzurri across all competitions and played 57 times for the San Siro giants last season, including the full 90 in their 5-0 Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain.

What other centre-backs can Chelsea target this summer?

Chelsea's pursuit of a new centre-back may seem confusing at a first glance, as Maresca also has Renato Veiga, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Aaron Anselmino and Jorrel Hato in the ranks.

However, Veiga, Disasi and Badiashile - who is injured anyway - have all been linked with moves away, Hato and Anselmino are still incredibly young, and Maresca has stated that Tosin is the only one who can play the Colwill role effectively.

As the ex-Fulham man is now sidelined, a new centre-half is a matter of priority for Maresca, who could very well urge his side to try to hijack a proposed Liverpool move for former Blues defender Marc Guehi.

Bayer Leverkusen's Piero Hincapie may also be an intriguing option, although Erik ten Hag will likely do everything in his power to keep him, while Benfica's Antonio Silva has also been name-checked as an ideal solution.

For the time being, Acheampong and Chalobah will likely continue in central defence when the Blues head to West Ham United for Friday's London derby.