English Premier League side Chelsea is reportedly plotting a £20 million move on Ben Davies as head coach Antonio Conte wants the Tottenham Hotspur defender when the winter transfer window opens in January.
The Sun reported that the Blues are targeting the 23-year-old Welsh left back in order to "boost their homegrown players" and "keep within Premier League regulations". But, of course, Conte also wants him for his skills as the former Italy national team manager deemed his squad lacking in defenders this season.
The Tottenham star will cost around £20 million to bring to the Stamford Bridge and is intended to be deployed "on the left side of a three-man defense that Conte favors". Davies had played that role during Wales' historic run to the semifinals of this summer's Euros and Conte is said to be keen on maximizing his abilities as well.
Other than that, the report noted that the Blues are also keen on increasing the number of local players in their roster in an effort to boost fan support as team captain John Terry is already nearing retirement.
Premier League regulations require each member team to have at least eight homegrown players in their rosters.
If the move pushes through then the Spurs are set to make a huge profit off Davies, who was signed by the club to a five-year deal from Swansea City in the summer of 2014 for £10 million, although it is not yet known whether Tottenham is ready to sell the 5-foot-11 Neath, Wales native this January.
Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino has not preferred Davies to be his first-choice defender with Danny Rose as his starter for the spot.
Meanwhile, Caught Offside indicated that the Pensioners are also considering submitting bids for Middlesbrough's Ben Gibson and Burnley's Michael Keane with the same intentions on signing Davies.
Davies is on his third season with the Spurs and had played in 56 games in all competitions in his first two seasons with the club. He played his first two senior seasons with Swansea City, where he also spent much of his youth career.
Davies appeared in 85 games in all competitions for the Swans during the said two years and had scored three goals mainly suiting up as a defender.
