Transfer News: Chelsea move attention to Matthijs de Ligt after Jules Kounde snub
Football.London claims that Chelsea have turned their attention to Matthijs de Ligt after Jules Kounde is planning to turn down the Blue’s offer to force a move to Barcelona. Kounde had been linked to the London club since the start of the summer transfer window but Sport (h/t Football.London) in Spain claim that Barca have now swooped in for the Frenchman due to Chelsea’s divided attention.
Thomas Tuchel is planning a squad overhaul under new ownership. Antonio Rudiger has already left the club for Real Madrid while Andreas Christensen is set to leave and join Barcelona.
Chelsea had been linked with Kounde for some time now, with the player expected to make a move to SW6. But now that seems to have changed and the Blues have already lined up an alternate in Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt.
De Ligt moved to Juventus following an exceptional season with Ajax in 2019. The Old Lady paid €75million for the service of the Dutchman, making him the most expensive defender in Italian top-flight history.
A future John Terry?
The 22-year-old would help in solving the defence exodus to a certain extent. Currently, Tuchel has Thiago Silva, Malang Sarr and Trevoh Chalobah as the options at the back, with the German only preferring Silva to start on most occasions last season.
Signing such a young and talented defender would help Chelsea solve their current defensive problem to a limit and also gain a player with the potential to lead the Blues’ back-line for years to come. Also, his signature would help send out a message to other rivals that Chelsea mean business despite Romano Abramovich’s exit.
However, he will not come cheap. De Ligt has a release clause of £103 million and Juventus are expecting offers near that figure. Chelsea are believed to have offered Timo Werner to help facilitate the deal.
The defender has amassed huge playing experience at such a young age. Chelsea would have to move fast if they want to secure his signature and also have a potential squad ready by pre-season. De Ligt has a long career ahead of him and Chelsea can offer him a chance to have a legacy of his own.
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Apart from all this, he is a leader on the pitch and given our lack of options at the back, would be a regular starter under Tuchel. This seems like a match made in heaven for Chelsea fans but as the deal with Kounde has shown, it is not easy signing a quality player in this day and age.
