Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 8y

Torino open to Nikola Maksimovic sale amid Chelsea and Napoli links

Torino boss Sinisa Mihajlovic says reported Chelsea and Napoli target Nikola Maksimovic is "dead" to him after he went AWOL.

Serbian defender Maksimovic infuriated Mihajlovic when he flew to his homeland rather than presenting himself for training earlier this month.

Mihajlovic questioned whether the player was absent of his own accord or whether it was his agent pushing for a move, amid links with Chelsea and Napoli.

Two weeks on, Maksimovic was left out of the Torino squad for their 5-1 win over Bologna on Sunday evening, with the coach saying his fellow Serb is no longer in his thoughts.

"As far as I'm concerned, he is dead," Mihajlovic said at a news conference. "I've not heard anything from him."

The 24-year-old is being tipped for a move before the transfer window closes on Wednesday.

Napoli have been linked for some time and Torino director of sport Gianluca Patrachi has told Sky Sport Italia: "Napoli really like Maksimovic. They made offers and counter-offers. Now there are few days left and so it's the moment of truth. Let's see how much they like the player.

"We'll see what to do, as it has to be a deal that makes everyone happy."

Chelsea are also reported to be interested, having seen their attempts to sign AC Milan's Alessio Romagnoli rejected, while Napoli are said to have resisted their efforts to buy Kalidou Koulibaly.

Antonio Conte has said Chelsea are willing to spend money but have found that their targets have not been made available. 

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