John Marshall:
Chelsea have identified AC Milan’s 17-year-old goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, as a top target if they decide to sell Thibaut Courtois this summer.
Courtois this week refused to commit himself to the Barclays Premier League club and is being tracked by Real Madrid, who are in the market for a new No 1.
The La Liga club failed to sign Manchester United’s David De Gea last summer and are interested in Courtois, who knows the Spanish capital well after spending three years on loan at Atletico Madrid.
Sportsmail understands Chelsea will turn to Donnarumma, who only turned 17 in February but has made 22 appearances in Serie A this season, if Courtois does swap Stamford Bridge for the Bernabeu.
Antonio Conte is favourite to become Chelsea’s next manager and admires the Italian teenager, who has already been compared to legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
His agent, Mino Raiola, said in November he thought his client was worth £120million but Chelsea would likely offer closer to £30m.
Raiola and Conte know each other after the former worked as an intermediary in negotiations when the latter almost became Milan manager before he was appointed Italy boss instead in 2014.
Milan, who sit sixth in Serie A, know Donnarumma is wanted and will struggle to hold on to the starlet if clubs come calling.
Chelsea could face competition from Manchester United for the Italy Under-21 international, however, if Madrid make another move for De Gea.
But that is unlikely after they were left frustrated when their £29m move fell through on the final day of last summer’s transfer window.
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