Chelsea are expected to fail in their pursuit of Italian teenage defensive sensation and Genoa left-back Honest Ahanor.

According to Tutto Atalanta, Chelsea are set to miss out on Honest Ahanor, with Atalanta now closing in on signing the teenager. The 17-year-old Italian defensive sensation from Genoa was high on the Blues list of young defensive targets, as they are indeed in the market for a new left-back.

Chelsea are been busy in the transfer market by agreeing deals for many players. The primary focus for the club seems to lean towards bolstering their attacking setup, as deals for Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens have ensured they will enter the new season with confidence.

There are some requirements at the back as well, as Chelsea might look at a new left-back to cover for Marc Cucurella. High-profile names like Jorrel Hato remain linked,  but that will be an expensive transfer, although Chelsea are likely to be equipped to deal with it in their way.

The inexpensive Kyle Walker-Peters has also been linked, which shows that Enzo Maresca wants a left-back cover. However, Chelsea have also explored the idea of signing a raw talent in the position as a backup following links to Genoa teenager Honest Ahanor.

However, Chelsea are set to miss out on the 17-year-old Italian defensive sensation, as Atalanta are closing in on the Genoa whizkid. The details of a potential offer remain under wraps for now, although the wider suggestion is that Chelsea did try hard to get a deal in place for the teenage left-back.

Chelsea will sign a new left-back

The report clearly states that Chelsea were aggressive in their pursuit of Ahanor, and while they might have presented a good enough proposal, Atalanta were quick to get ahead. The Bergamo side are now set to sign the 17-year-old Italian defensive sensation considered one of the top talents in the country.

As for Chelsea, they will stay alert and active in the market to bring in a left-back cover. It remains to be seen which players they target, although, from the look of things, it might be a case of another young talent coming through the door rather than an experienced option as they already have Cucurella as their main starter in the role.