Chelsea are in the market for defensive reinforcements to fill the void left by the departures of Antonio Rudger and Andreas Christensen. As per Calciomercato, the Blues have identified Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt as one of their top summer targets.
The same report says Chelsea are willing to offer out-of-sorts forward Timo Werner as a makeweight in a deal. Thomas Tuchel has waved goodbye to a couple of his defensive mainstays this summer.
Rudiger has already signed a multi-year contract at Real Madrid. Christensen could join his long-term partner in La Liga. However, his move to Barcelona hinges on the Catalans’ ability to overcome well-documented financial issues.
Both players have refused to pledge their futures to Stamford Bridge. That threatens to leave Tuchel short of options at the back next term. As such, the German has laid his eyes on de Ligt.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, the Dutchman has a host of suitors across Europe. Moreover, Juventus are reluctant to give up their highly-rated defender. After Giorgio Chiellini’s retirement, Massimiliano Allegri is desperate to keep hold of the 22-year-old.
However, de Ligt’s future in Turin is up in the air. The Netherlands international appears keen to move on to new pastures.
He has been a first-team regular at Juventus. But it’s hard to make a case for him living up to the billing. De Ligt’s patchy form since his €75m arrival from Ajax in 2019 has often failed to convince the club hierarchy.
Against this backdrop, Juventus hopes to continue with the talented youngster. That’s not what Chelsea would want to hear.
The Pensioners are aware of Juve’s ongoing pursuit of a new forward to replace Paulo Dybala. They look to soften the Itlalians’ stance on de Ligt by including Werner as part of their bid to lure the Dutchman to England.
It remains to be seen whether Juventus would consider such a prospect.