Chelsea open talks to sign Argentinian World Cup defender

Ezequiel Garay started the 2014 World Cup final for Argentina

CHELSEA and Zenit St Petersburg have begun talks over a potential move for Argentine defender Ezequiel Garay.

 

Italian journalist Gianluca di Marzio, who works for Sky Italia, is reporting that the Blues are trying to reach an agreement with the Russian club for the 28-year-old before the window closes. 

Garay joined Zenit last summer for £4.2million after spending three years in Portugal with Benfica and played a key role in last seasons league title winning campaign under Andre Villas-Boas.

 

The defender also has 31 caps for Argentina and was part of the team that made it to the World Cup final in Brazil in 2014.

Manchester United have been linked with a move for the Argentinian, while Arsenal reportedly joined the race to sign the defender earlier this summer.

 

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is on the look out for a new central defender, and has already put forward three bids for Everton's England international John Stones.

He is expected to make a fourth offer of £40million for the 21-year-old, however the move for Garay suggests that the Chelsea boss is making plans if the move for Stones falls through.