Goal understands that the Blues are set to offer €35 million for the Belgium international's services. What role would he fill in the squad under Antonio Conte?
Antonio Conte is set to begin his summer rebuilding job at Chelsea with a move for Roma's Radja Nainggolan.

As confirmed by Goal on Friday, the tenacious midfielder is set to be the subject of a bid worth €35 million (£28.2m) plus add-ons after Roma's director of football, Walter Sabatini, was photographed at Stamford Bridge as he arrived to discuss Nainggolan and Blues exile Mohamed Salah.

With Conte charged with bringing back Champions League football to Stamford Bridge and keen to get his transfer business done early, looking to tie up an early deal for the Belgian midfielder means that Chelsea are serious about him - but is he the right buy?

Chelsea are coming to the end of their worst season in the Roman Abramovich era and have suffered across all areas of the pitch, including in the midfield.

Were Nainggolan to sign up, he would be competing with the likes of Nemanja Matic, Jon Obi Mikel and Ruben Loftus-Cheek - and there ought to be room for him to thrive.

Mikel has just one year remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge and is no longer happy playing a bit-part role.

Matic's future, meanwhile, is also in doubt, with speculation linking him to Juventus and performances in 2015-16 a serious dip from the form that saw him impress after his return to the club from Benfica in 2014.

If either one were to leave, there would surely be room for another midfielder, though Loftus-Cheek is the likeliest to stay after being given a chance in the first team under Guus Hiddink.

Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Swansea City saw Chelsea badly in need of a midfielder to fight tooth and nail for the cause as they were left with the lightweight Oscar playing the holding role in the second half. The problem that day? A lack of depth in the squad.

While a centre-back and a striker will be equally important acquisitions this summer, especially if John Terry's exit is confirmed, Nainggolan fits a hole in the squad.

A constant in the Roma engine room and a key player for the Giallorossi since his arrival in 2014, Nainggolan looks to be an upgrade on Mikel. A better ball-winner and fitter than Matic but a worse passer of the ball, he would diversify the base of the Blues' midfield.

Though 27 years old, Nainggolan has only just arrived at the top level, having previously only played at Piacenza and Cagliari before making the move to Roma.

The Belgium international, with 18 caps to his name, speaks English and Italian fluently so would have no problem communicating with his team-mates or manager at Stamford Bridge.

Conte has traditionally preferred central midfielders who can cover a lot of ground in 3-5-2 or 4-2-4 formations, both of which require those players to fill in defensive gaps, and Nainggolan has showed the tactical versatility to go where needed.

His tough tackling and endless energy are among his best strengths on the pitch but he would undoubtedly earn suspensions for too many yellow cards in the Premier League.

Goalscoring is not a key part of his game but he nevertheless has three to his name in Serie A so far this season, including a delightful finish against Verona.

Stylistically, he is perhaps most comparable to Michael Essien or Roy Keane - Premier League greats both - and Stamford Bridge would greatly enjoy the sight of a slide across the pitch to put in a heavy tackle on the likes of Alexis Sanchez or Sergio Aguero.

While Nainggolan would not represent a Paul Pogba-style coup, he is nevertheless a strong player. Roma would be sad to lose a talent of his calibre but are set to make a huge profit, having originally paid just €9m for him.

On balance, it is a move that would make sense for all parties and, despite missing out on Champions League football next season, Chelsea would have no trouble shelling out to make it happen as increased TV revenue for Premier League clubs kicks in.

Signing Nainggolan would be a proactive step towards a much better summer transfer window for the Blues than that of last year.