Transfer News: Chelsea eyeing move for Dutch centre back Matthijis de Ligt from Juventus
According to Calciomercato (h/t Express), Chelsea are plotting a move to sign Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt. Chelsea are planning to offer Juventus Timo Werner plus cash for de Ligt. The Premier League giants did miss out on their key target in Jules Kounde this summer after failed negotiations with Sevilla.
Chelsea were close to signing their transfer target Jules Kounde this summer but were left disappointed. In the final days of the negotiation, the Spanish club remained firm on their demands to meet the release clause for the player which saw the Blues pull out from the deal.
However, despite failing to land Kounde this summer Chelsea are already considering future options. According to the report, the Premier League giants are eyeing a move for Juventus defender De Ligt. The Dutch defender made the move to Old lady after his Champions League exploits with Ajax in 2018-19. But since his move to Juve, the player has not been able to impress drastically.
Timo Werner has struggled to find consistent form for the Blues but did win the Champions League last campaign, in which the German striker scored 4 goals in 12 appearances for the team. However, it will be tough for the striker to have regular game time as Chelsea have secured the signing of a top striker, Romelu Lukaku, this summer.
Thomas Tuchel was mindful of his squad and his requirements for defenders. Apart from the Jules Kounde setback, the Blues also sold Kurt Zouma to West Ham this summer for a reported fee of £28.9m. Thiago Silva who signed a contract extension this summer has a single year’s time at Chelsea and Antonio Rudiger is yet to pen a long-term deal despite ongoing negotiations.
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If Juve let go of their main central defender next summer if Chelsea coming knocking on their doors remains to be seen. It makes sense for Tucel to future-proof his defence and given Werner’s squad role so far this season, maybe getting in de Ligt at the cost of losing the German forward would be something the fans are fine with.