Blues target Juve defender

Chelsea are believed to be setting their sights on Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner as an alternative to Cesar Azpilicueta.

Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo had made the Marseille right-back a top target this summer but negotiations with the French club are going nowhere fast, the Italian is now assessing other options. Lichtsteiner is one of the players under consideration if a deal can't be done for the 28-year-old, who has already seen one £5m bid from the Blues turned down despite the Spaniard's desire to seal a switch to Stamford Bridge. Di Matteo is anxious to strengthen in the full-back position after releasing Jose Bosingwa this summer, while Branislav Ivanovic is known to prefer playing at centre-back. However, it could be just as tricky to prize Lichtsteiner away from Juve, with the Swiss international having caught the eye during pre-season operating in the heart of defence in the absence of the injured Martin Caceres.