Leonardo Bonucci: Juventus slap €60m price tag on Chelsea target

Chelsea will have to pay €60m (‎£48m) to prise Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci away from Juventus, according to reports.

Gazzetta dello Sport claims incoming blues boss Antonio Conte is interested in using his old contacts at the Italian champions to bring the centre-back to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Bonucci, 29, was impressive as he helped Italy keep a clean sheet in their 2-0 win over Belgium at Euro 2016 on 13 June.

He scored three goals in 36 league appearances to help Juventus win their fifth successive Serie A title last season.

Reports earlier this year suggested that Conte wanted the Italian defender as a successor to John Terry, who signed a contract extension to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge until the end of the 2016/17 season.

Gazzetta says the Bianconeri are unlikely to sanction the sale of Bonucci even if a €60m bid was tabled, but should the player choose to leave, Benfica's Victor Lindelof could be a potential replacement.

Bonucci paid tribute to Italy's defensive organisation and team spirit after goals from Emanuele Giaccherini and Graziano Pelle gave the Azzurri a 2-0 win over Belgium.

"This is a great opening match which fills us with enthusiasm; it should inspire us and provide us with belief, confidence and positivity," he told Uefa.com. "This should be the first win of a great tournament for us.

"We showed some typical Italian qualities: hard work, humility, fitness and a desire to work for one another; plus we were clinical. We deserve this moment, hopefully it is just the first of many here.

"[Belgium's] midfielders and strikers are among the best in the world," Bonucci added.

"They have plenty of skilful and talented players, and near the end of the match they brought even more of them on. We had to dig in and we did so splendidly. We were simply perfect."