Are Chelsea set to miss out on another target with Danilo set for Manchester City?

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In yet another shock transfer twist for Chelsea, Spanish newspaper Marca claim that Manchester City have leapfrogged them to the signing of Real Madrid full-back Danilo.

The Blues were thought to be leading the race, but the reports indicate that the 25-year-old has reached an agreement with Manchester City and is now only waiting for the two clubs to agree a deal, with it more or less done.

What made the difference?

The Spanish newspaper claim that the Brazilian was all set for Chelsea and wanted to move to London, but changed his mind on Tuesday. That is believed to be down to Chelsea’s passive and relaxed negotiation strategy while in talks with the player. Manchester City are believed to have immediately made a clear impression, making clear their intentions to bring the full-back to the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola has also played a crucial role in persuading Danilo to join his side, reportedly easing his concerns about the recent arrival of Kyle Walker by insisting that the Brazilian could equally play on the left or even in a central role.

Are the claims reliable?

Very. Marca is almost seen as  an official spokesperson for Real Madrid by some in Spain and they get the vast majority of stories about the European champions correct.

Given that it was The Times who first publicised Manchester City’s interest, it certainly seems that there is no reason to doubt this update from Spain. The reports even counter the biggest doubt, which has been whether City would really chase Danilo after spending £50 million on Kyle Walker.

What is going on at Chelsea?

It’s clear that something isn’t quite right behind the scenes. Antonio Conte put pen to paper on a new contract on Tuesday evening, which may have revived hopes of a successful title defence for Blues fans. Now though, this news story will bring them straight back down to earth.

Having missed out on Romelu Lukaku in very similar circumstances, the Blues must be more determined in their transfer talks and convince their targets that they are high in Chelsea’s list of priorities. Whether that would fall on the shoulders of Antonio Conte seems unlikely, but some Chelsea staff may face the Italian’s wrath if these reports are accurate.

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