Transfer News: Chelsea to battle Barcelona for 22-year-old Serie A ace

Chelsea could face a unique obstacle in their pursuit of Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt

According to Calciomercato (h/t Express), Barcelona have also shown their interest in signing Chelsea transfer target Matthijs de Ligt and Mino Raiola holds the cards regarding where his client eventually ends up.

The 22-year-old made a name for himself at Ajax Amsterdam under the tutelage of Erik ten Hag. While there was a clutter of interest surrounding the then-teenager, de Ligt made his way to Juventus for a staggering fee of €75m (£67.8m).

The Dutch international’s current contract with the Bianconneri expires in 2024. Whilst the current Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri is thought to be keen on keeping the young defender, the Italian club believes that they will fail to convince the player to sign a new contract with them.

Raiola is known for his tenacity and ability to land great deals for his clients. The superagent is also thought to have a good relationship with Joan Laporta who is the current president of Barcelona. This relationship could help the Blauranga get an edge should there be a possibility to sign the 22-year-old centre-back.

de Ligt may have struggled with his form and injury issues during his term with the Turin-based club but one gets the feeling that at 22, the youngster still has a lot to provide to his employers. The former Ajax defender could be a great long-term asset for Chelsea should they land him.

To be or not to be

Chelsea could face a prospective shortage in defence at the end of the season. Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, and Cesar Azpilicueta are all in the final months of their contract at Stamford Bridge and appear no closer to penning an extension. As things stand, their departure seems like a plausible reality at this moment.

Under such circumstances, the Blues could be heavily short-staffed in defence. Whilst Chelsea have options like Thiago Silva, Malang Sarr, and Trevoh Chalobah in defence, the former is not getting any younger while the latter two still have much to develop. It only seems fair that the London-based club dip in the transfer window in the summer to bolster their ranks with suitable defensive reinforcements.

de Ligt has a wide variety of experience and Thomas Tuchel could use another talented centre-back at Stamford Bridge. At 22, it seems that he still has a long way to go in his career and his prime days are still ahead of him. That being said, the Turin-based club would not want to let go of their star defender so easily. Add the interest from the Camp Nou outfit along with the dynamic of the Laporta-Raiola relationship and a tough task becomes even tougher.

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Thomas Tuchel has built the foundation of his success at Chelsea based on a strong defensive base. Should any of his key defenders depart, the German could be in a tight spot. Only the future can tell what is in store for Chelsea and Matthijs de Ligt. Nonetheless, the Blues would do themselves a favour by purchasing a sturdy centre-back in the coming transfer window.