UCL: Good player – Zola admits urging Chelsea to sign Napoli star

Chelsea legend, Gianfranco Zola has admitted that current Napoli midfielder, Stanislav Lobotka ‘was proposed to Chelsea’ in the 2018-19 season, but the Blues turned him down.

Zola said this during his role as a pundit on Amazon Prime Italia on Wednesday night before Napoli’s Champions League round of 16 second-leg match against Eintracht Frankfurt at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

“I already knew Lobotka, because I saw a few of his games when he was proposed to Chelsea.

“He was a good player, but nowhere near what he has become at Napoli today,” he said.

Lobotka’s current deal with Napoli will expire in June 2027.

The Slovakia international joined Napoli from Celta Vigo in January 2020.

He initially struggled but has gone from strength to strength under Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti.