Chelsea joined by Premier League rivals in race to sign 22-year-old Serie A defensive ace

Transfer News: Manchester United join Chelsea in the chase for Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt

According to transfer news on Eurosport, Chelsea have been joined by Manchester United in the race to sign Juventus ace Matthijs de Ligt.

The Blues are facing a potential shortage of defenders next summer. Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Thiago Silva shall be out of contract at the end of the season. A couple of them could still sign new deals, but it remains to be seen whether they can retain each of them.

If Chelsea do lose one of their stars, they are interested in signing De Ligt. The Dutch international performed well at Ajax and has continued his fine form at Juventus. The Italian club are reluctant to sell their young star, but the London club are confident of landing him.

However, Man United are also trying to lure the 22-year-old to England. The Red Devils recently came into new management and have perhaps prioritized fixing the defence at the earliest.

Cannot miss out on De Ligt

The Serie A club are currently undergoing a re-build and are not as strong as they were a couple of years ago. But De Ligt has still managed to maintain his status as one of the best defenders in the league, indicating his talent and potential to do become the best in the coming years.

At the moment, it appears as though Chelsea are going to lose Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer in the summer. He has been linked to several clubs, and there is little known about his intentions of signing a new deal any time soon.

In such a scenario, bringing in the Juventus ace makes all the sense in the world. He is still young, has experience playing at the top and alongside some of the best defenders in the world. Moreover, letting him join a Premier League rival instead would be an unwise decision.

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Tuchel has found success in London due to his stellar defenders. Thus, we need to continue upgrading that department to ensure that it remains the backbone of our side. The German boss would want to lift several more titles at Stamford Bridge, and signing the Dutchman shall only help that cause in the long run.