Chelsea submit £69m offer for Juventus defender Matthijs De Ligt. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
Chelsea have been really busy in all fronts over the last few days and one major name that has emerged as a fresh priority for Todd Boehly and Thomas Tuchel is Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt.
The Dutchman is currently under contract until 2024 and Juventus have been trying to extend it by two more years until 2026. In recent days, reports of conflict between De Ligt and Juve chiefs have emerged, owing to the two parties being quite apart in negotiations for a new deal.
Chelsea, who had earlier identified Sevilla’s Jules Kounde as their top defensive target, have now shifted focus to De Ligt since their backroom reshuffle.
De Ligt joined Juventus in the summer of 2019 in a deal that made him the most expensive defender in Serie A history. However, he hasn’t come close to fulfilling his true potential during his almost three-year stay in Turin.
Regardless, Juventus expect his €120 million release clause to be paid in full which Chelsea won’t be obliging too. What the Blues can do however is negotiate a swap deal and offer players in return to sweeten the pot.
Timo Werner’s name has been floated in that context, who Juventus views as a replacement for the outgoing Alvaro Morata. According to Calciomercato (h/t football.london), Juventus want Jorginho in return as well.
Chelsea’s interest in Adrien Rabiot means that a double-swap is now a possibility involving Werner and Jorginho in exchange for De Ligt and Rabiot. A meeting between the two clubs is set for later this week.
The current midfield situation at Chelsea has only one outcome and that’s a reduced role for Jorginho, whose contract is due to expire next year.
With the Boehly-Clearlake administration clearly setting foundations for the future, it’s only a matter of time before the old guard is slowly phased out.
Jorginho will be turning 31 later this year, so now is the time for Chelsea to cash in on him and if he can help bring down the monetary compensation for De Ligt, then why not. Two for two sounds fair, only if there is no other fee involved.
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