Como have agreed a deal worth more than £30m to sign Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, bringing an end to his near-20-year association with the club he joined as a boy. The 27-year-old England international is set to sign a long-term contract at the Italian side, who qualified for the Champions League after finishing fourth in Serie A, and is expected to take up a leadership role under manager Cesc Fabregas. The move is part of a broader effort by Chelsea to trim new manager Xabi Alonso's oversized squad.

Chelsea will receive an initial £25.7m plus up to £5.1m in add-ons, close to their asking price after months of negotiations that began in early June and also attracted interest from Inter Milan. Fabregas, a former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder, had reportedly been pursuing Chalobah for more than six months. Chelsea have already brought in centre-back Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace for £52m and still have nine senior centre-backs on their books, with Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile earmarked for departure and Mamadou Sarr or Josh Acheampong possible loan candidates.