Chelsea's hopes of landing one of the most exciting talents in European football have taken a huge hit, as Whoscored reports Roma are set to sign Franck Kessie.

What's the word?

20-year-old Franck Kessie, who recently represented the Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations, has attracted a wealth of top-sides with his performances for Atalanta, including that of Antonio Conte's Chelsea, who reportedly had a £27m bid rejected this week.

However the young talent, who has scored the joint-most goals for a midfielder in the Serie A this season with six, still looks set to land himself a big move before the transfer deadline next week- and Roma are the ones that will benefit.

That said, the deal is resting on a lot of potential scenarios and may not take place until the summer.

What's the delay?

Roma's offer consists of £21.3m up-front and bonuses that will take the deal just shy of the £30m mark, whilst Roma would send two young players 0n-loan to Atalanta to help the club without young Kessie.

That could occur both this window and in the summer but Roma would prefer to wait, which they will do if Leandro Paredes remains with the club. Should Paredes, who has been linked to Sevilla this window, leave, then Roma will swoop this month.

Still with us? Good. It basically means that Chelsea will have to raise their offer but the door remains open for them to hijack a move, especially if the Rome outfit don't swoop until the end of the season.

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