- Radja Nainggolan wasn’t willing to leave Roma due to not wanting to begin a new lifestyle
- The Belgian was reportedly on Chelsea’s radar last season
- READ MORE: Chelsea and Bundesliga star in talks as rivals drop interest
Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan turned down a move to Chelsea due to loving life in the Italian capital, Belgium’s Sport Voetbal Magazine reports via The Standard.
Nainggolan, 29, was linked with a transfer to the Blues in March last year after admitting to Sky Sports that discussions over a move to SW6 had taken place.
However, the Belgian rejected the move and decided to stay loyal to Roma.
When speaking to Sport Voetbal Magazine, Nainggolan insisted that he wasn’t prepared to start a fresh challenge by leaving Italy, where’s played at club level for 13 years in a combined spell with Piacenza and Cagliari as well as Roma.
Nainggolan is quoted by The Standard saying:
“I could have gone to Chelsea and many other clubs, but starting something knew when you are 28, 29, in a new culture, another lifestyle, that’s not for me.”
With Tiemoue Bakayoko enduring a difficult start with us, Nainggolan’s decision to turn down a move to Stamford Bridge has haunted us.
