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Report: Chelsea nearing deals for Cagliari's Barella, Zenit's Paredes

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Cesc Fabregas' reported move to Monaco has yet to cross the finish line, but Chelsea are already in search of his successor.

The Blues have reportedly set their sights on Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella or Zenit St. Petersburg's Leandro Paredes, with a deal for one of the two burgeoning talents expected to be reached this week, according to Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol.

Fabregas' switch to the principality side could be delayed until the summer, Solhekol adds, as Chelsea are hesitant to let him go if they cannot sign a replacement beforehand.

Aside from a six-month loan spell at Como in 2016, Barella's spent his entire career at Cagliari. A product of the Rossoblu's youth academy, Barella made his senior debut in January 2015 as a 17-year-old starter in a 2-1 loss to Parma. Now 21, he's earned four international caps with Italy, starting all four of the Azzurri's recent matches against Ukraine, Poland, Portugal, and the United States.

Chelsea could potentially face stiff competition from Napoli for the young playmaker, who's apparently valued at €45 million by Cagliari, Sky Sport Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio reported Monday.

Paredes joined Zenit from Roma in a €23-million deal in July 2017. The 24-year-old defensive-minded midfielder has made 61 appearances across all competitions with the Russian side, scoring 10 goals during his stay. He also has nine international caps to his name since first appearing for Argentina in a 6-0 friendly win over Singapore in June 2017.

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