AC Milan have rejected an improved bid from Chelsea for their Italian central defender Alessio Romagnoli and declared the 21-year-old not for sale.
The Italy under-21 international, who joined the Rossoneri from Roma a year ago for €25 million, was subject to an initial enquiry from the Blues last week. The Premier League club's first bid, understood to have been in the region of €30m, was immediately rejected by Milan.
An improved bid, reportedly worth €35m, has also been turned down with the Rossoneri making a statement on their website in which they rule out a sale of the defender.
"AC Milan have received a significant bid from Chelsea for our player Alessio Romagnoli," said the statement on the club's official website. "The Rossonero player is not for sale and as such, this offer will not have any follow-up.
"We thank Chelsea, a club with whom Milan will always continue to have excellent sporting relations."
Romagnoli, who wears the No. 13 shirt previously worn by Alessandro Nesta, was an ever-present for Milan last season, after having been a regular for Sampdoria during a season-long loan from Roma in 2014-15.
He has yet to receive his first senior Italy call but has been in the under-21 side throughout their qualifying campaign for next summer's European Championship in Poland.
With Chelsea in the hunt for a new central defender, Milan's refusal to entertain any more offers for Romagnoli may lead them to turn there attentions to another of Antonio Conte's targets, Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.
They would have to bid almost twice as much for the 25-year-old, though, with Napoli equally reluctant to sell and keen on agreeing a new contract with the Senegalese defender.