Matthijs de Ligt has attracted interest from Chelsea. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Chelsea have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of centre-back Matthijs de Ligt as Juventus are said to be looking for a potential replacement. This is according to renowned journalist, Fabrizio Romano via Twitter (h/t football.london).
The Blues are in the market for a centre-back after seeing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leave for free this summer. De Ligt has been touted as a potential candidate, but the Blues have only held talks with the Old Lady and no formal bid has been submitted yet.
Bayern Munich are also said to be in the fray for the Dutch defender. Juventus are in the market looking for a potential replacement as they expect to see their star defender depart this summer. Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly is a potential target for Juventus to replace de Ligt with.
However, de Ligt will not come cheap as Juventus are demanding a fee of around £65million for the services of the Dutchman. The fees are yet to be met by any of the suitors for him.
Thomas Tuchel is in dire need to fix his defence ahead of next season. Two senior first-team defenders have already left and the only trusted centre-back left in the team is 37-year-old Thiago Silva, who isn’t getting any younger. Remaining centre-backs like Trevoh Chalobah, Malang Sarr and Ethan Ampadu are still inexperienced.
A top centre-back is needed and de Ligt fits that bill. The Dutch international is only 22 years old but has amassed huge playing experience in his career. Under his captaincy, Ajax made a run to the semi-finals of the Champions League in the 2018/19 campaign, which was when he showed everyone what a world-class defender and a formidable leader he is.
Chelsea could do with both such qualities as Tuchel must prepare a squad not only for next season but also for the future. With his command of the back-line along with his exceptional defensive traits, he could be a perfect fit in Tuchel’s back three having already played in a similar system for his national team.
But as mentioned earlier, he won’t come cheap nor easy. Bayern could prove to be a problem. His qualities and age profile make him a long-term signing for any club, and Chelsea would be wise to do the same if they can manage to get him.
Apart from him, Chelsea are also said to be linked with his compatriot Nathan Ake from Manchester City. If the Blues manage to bring both the Dutchmen to Stamford Bridge, we could potentially see a Dutch centre-back partnership for Chelsea next season.
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