Chelsea could reportedly still be one to watch in the race for the transfer of Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori, who is also wanted by Real Madrid.

We’ve recently reported on Madrid eyeing Calafiori as a transfer target, though the Italy international is an important player for Arsenal and could cost as much as €100m.

Now it seems Simon Phillips is aware of Chelsea still having some interest in Calafiori, which dates back to his time at Bologna, where the Blues also tried to win the race for his signature even when he was in talks over moving to the Emirates Stadium.

Chelsea could surely do with strengthening in defence, with Calafiori someone who could come in and give Xabi Alonso an upgrade at both centre-back and left-back.

The 24-year-old has shone during his time at Arsenal, though he’s had occasional fitness issues that have limited his playing time, so perhaps in theory there’s a price that could tempt the north Londoners to sell.

Arsenal surely won’t let Riccardo Calafiori join a rival like Chelsea

Still, Arsenal surely won’t want to see a talent like Calafiori joining a rival like Chelsea, where he could end up being a real asset if he stays fit and continues his development.

For now, AFC remain a far more complete side than their west London counterparts, but there’s every chance that a top player like Calafiori could majorly contribute towards them rebuilding and becoming more competitive.

Selling to someone like Real Madrid would surely be the preferable option, though there’s little suggestion that that’s currently likely either.

Simon Phillips even makes it clear that he’s not aware of Calafiori being unhappy at Arsenal or pushing to leave, so even if interest in the player makes sense, there’s still a long way to go before we can think seriously about him leaving his current club.