According to reports, Chelsea is working harder than ever to get Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt. The West London team have been trying for some time now to secure the young prodigy’s signature.
Thomas Tuchel will be looking to revamp his backline after the departures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger. Further exits of Cesar Azpilecueta and Marcos Alonso are expected, making it imperative for the Blues to make reinforcements. However, They are yet to make any signings
Owner Todd Boehly is trying to be proactive when it comes to bringing in new names. The pursuit of Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling is the most advanced so far.
How Much Would De Ligt Cost
Juventus would prefer to receive the Dutch international’s market value in cash. The Italian giants bought him in 2019 after a historic season with Ajax.
To find a solution that works for everyone, it has been asserted that the Italian powerhouses are willing to reduce their asking price for the 22-year-old slightly. Chelsea is apparently willing to spend up to £65 million for de Ligt. They earlier insisted on paying £34.4 million, along with a player. Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic were some of the names floated around for this deal. However, Juventus rejected the offer.
Even if the new sum is far closer to Juventus’ asking price, journalist Ben Jacobs of CBS Sports says that a deal involving Pulisic or Werner might require an offer closer to £70 million. Recently, Bayern Munich have too joined the race for De Ligt.
Chelsea appear to be concentrated on attempting to complete a deal for De Ligt. But in case the move does not materialize, they have a host of alternatives up their sleeves.
They have long had an interest in Jules Kounde, but they have not yet reached an agreement with Sevilla on a deal that would cost more than £50 million. They were in for the Frenchman last season as well, but a move never materialized. Nathan Ake, the ex-Chelsea player is reportedly also on Tuchel’s shortlist. However, it has been said that Manchester City is unwilling to let go of the defender
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