Radja Nainggolan's future depends on Champions League participation

Even though reports earlier this week from Sky Sport Italia claimed that Chelsea were getting closer and closer and even closer and even closer closer to Radja Nainggolan, and the Mirror went even as far as claiming that a £28m deal has been agreed, the latest report out of Italy claims that Chelsea are in fact really not that close at all.

Surprised?  You shouldn't be.  This is Silly Season after all.

There are currently no ongoing negotiations between #Chelsea, AS Roma and Nainggolan. A future meeting is planned. [Corriere dello Sport]

— Chelsea HQ (@Chelsea_HQ) April 28, 2016

At this supposed future meeting, Chelsea will try to offer a five-year deal, but Nainggolan is apparently quite settled in Rome (and his previous interviews have indicated no unhappiness that would dispute such claims).

CdS's report goes on to claim that Champions League participation will be a key issue, which, obviously, Chelsea have no hope of offering the midfielder at the moment.  Our only saving grace could be if Roma miss out on the top three in the Serie A and drop into the Europa League instead for next season.  Perhaps that would entice Nainggolan to join Conte's rebuilding project?  But with a seven-point lead over fourth place Internazionale and just three games to go, that would require a highly unlikely epic collapse from the Giallorossi.

So, just a few days after being so close we could practically see all the individual hairs in his distinctive mohawk, we now appear to be fairly far away from Nainggolan once again.  And so it goes.