Chelsea have stepped up their defensive recruitment by tabling a €35m (£30m) bid for Lazio’s Spanish centre-back Mario Gila. The 24-year-old has impressed over the last two seasons in Serie A, drawing interest from several major clubs across Europe, including Tottenham, Bournemouth, and PSG.
The Blues are not the only ones keen, as Bournemouth have also made a £35m offer—reportedly turned down by Lazio, who are holding out for around £50m. Despite the mounting interest, Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri, a former Chelsea manager himself, is reluctant to let Gila go.
Originally developed at Real Madrid, Gila made his first-team debut in the 2021–22 season but only managed two appearances before securing a permanent move to Lazio in 2022 for £5m. Since then, he has featured over 40 times for the Rome-based club and played a key role in their seventh-place finish last season, along with a strong Europa League run to the quarter-finals.
Though he’s yet to earn a senior cap for Spain, Gila was included in the national team squad earlier this year for their Nations League clash against the Netherlands, underlining his rising stock.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are actively revamping their squad after finishing fourth in the Premier League and winning the UEFA Conference League in 2024–25 under new head coach Enzo Maresca. They’ve already signed striker Liam Delap for £30m from Ipswich, along with promising youngsters Dario Essugo, Estevao Willian, and Mamadou Sarr.
The west London club are also in the market for attacking reinforcements, targeting both wingers and centre-forwards. They were in advanced talks to sign AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, but negotiations collapsed due to valuation disagreements.
In terms of outgoings, Chelsea are open to offers for a number of fringe players, including Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku. The summer transfer window is set to reopen officially on Monday and will close on September 1, giving clubs time to make their moves.