Transfer Blow for Chelsea as Serbians Rule out Selling Youngster

Partizan Belgrade youngster Lazar Markovic's agent has dismissed reports that his client has agreed to join Chelsea in the January transfer window.

There has been intense speculation of late that the Blues have reached an agreement with the 18-year-old regarding a move but the player's representative Fali Ramadani has now played down the possibility of a transfer by insisting that the Serbian star will not leave Belgrade in this window.

"Markovic has a contract with Partizan until 2016. Away in January? I can assure you that he will not leave in the next transfer windows. Then we'll see," Sky Sports quoted Ramadani as saying.

"Away in January? I can assure you that he will not leave in the next transfer windows. Then we'll see. Inter Milan interested? Until now no Italian club have contacted me, so I have not talked to any Inter official," the agent added.

Partizan sporting director Ljubisa Tumbakovic also insisted that the Serbian outfit will not sell Markovic in this transfer window, after it had been reported that the player had begun talks with the Blues over a possible transfer.

"I swear on my mother that I really do not know anything about this. On Saturday, I spoke with club president Dragan Djuric and he also told me that he knows nothing about Markovic's transfer to Chelsea. I don't know, he doesn't know. Maybe the journalists have better information than us in the club!" The Independent quoted Tumbakovic.

Markovic is touted as one of the best young talents to have emerged from Europe in recent years. The youngster, who operates mainly as a supporting striker, scored six league goals from 14 appearances for Partizan so far this season. The teenager has also earned six caps for the Serbia national team and has established himself as a regular member of squad captained by Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic.