Nicolo Barella who currently plays for Italian club Cagliari reportedly turned down a January 2019 transfer move to Premier League side Chelsea for personal reasons.
Chelsea's £44 million bid is said to have been accepted by Cagliari chiefs over a move to Stamford Bridge, but the midfielder decided to stay at the Italian club until the summer.
According to the report by UK Sun, Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri wanted the 21-year-old to replace Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas who has joined French club Monaco.
Even Zola who is the Blues' assistant manager called Barella many times in attempt to convince his fellow countryman to make a move to the London club.
But the report added that Nicolo Barella rejected the chance to join Chelsea despite the five-year impressive deal he was offered by the Blues.
One of the reasons why Nicolo Barella thought to have rejected a move to Chelsea is that his wife is six-month pregnant with their second child.
Nicolo Barella who is branded as one of the best midfielders in Italy has scored one goal in 20 Serie A games this season for Cagliari.
Chelsea are currently occupying fourth position on the Premier League standings with 50 points after 25 games played so far this season.
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