Paris St Germain are ready to make Palermo playmaker Javier Pastore their headline signing of the summer and will now battle Chelsea for his signature.
Chelsea were assumed to be in the pole position to sign Pastore after Palermo vice-president Guglielmo Micciche said last week that the 22-year-old was “very likely ” to move to Stamford Bridge.
But PSG have appeared on the scene, flush with money from the Qatar Investment Authority and with a new sporting director in Leonardo.
Maurizio Zamparini, the president of the Palermo told Sky Sport 24:
“(PSG sporting director) Leonardo is a great man. He called me and told me he was very interested in Pastore.”
Zamparini is hoping a deal can be struck this week.
“On Tuesday, we have a meeting with his agent,” he said. “PSG and Chelsea are the two teams in the lead on this issue. There are one or two opportunities in Spain but, either way, he will not stay in Italy.”