Chelsea FC will have to make an offer of £40m to sign Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella, according to Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Blues are thought to be in the market to sign a central Midfielder after Premier League veteran completed a move to Ligue 1 side AS Monaco earlier this month.

Maurizio Sarri is thought to be keen to supplement his current midfield options, which include summer signing Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic.

Reports last week suggested that Barella was a potential target for Chelsea FC as Sarri looks to secure fourth spot in his first season.

The 21-year-old Italy international is considered to be a promising prospect in Serie A after progressing through the youth team ranks at Cagliari.

Sky Sports News reporter Sheth opened up about how much Barella will cost to sign in the January transfer window if Sarri wants the Italian to replace Fabregas.

“We are told they are still in talks with Cagliari and Zenit for Nicolo Barella and Leandro Paredes respectively,” Sheth told the Sky Sports Transfer Window podcast.

“The Barella one, we are told, would cost £40m. [But] would they spend £40m on what would effectively be a back-up?”

The Cagliari midfielder has scored one goal in 18 games in Serie A this season.

Barella broke into the Cagliari team during the 2014-15 season but the central midfielder has only established himself as a first-team regular in the past two-and-a-half seasons.

The Italian star scored six times in 34 games in Serie A last season, presumably catching the eye of former Napoli manager Sarri.

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