Juventus are reportedly willing to take Timo Werner in the deal to sell Matthijs de Ligt to Chelsea, with the Dutch defender keen on moving to Stamford Bridge.
According to 90 min, Juventus have given the green light to Chelsea to use Timo Werner as a potential makeweight in a deal that would see Matthijs de Ligt make the switch to Stamford Bridge. The Blues are expected to ramp up their transfer activity in the coming weeks following extensive transfer meetings between new owner Todd Boehly and manager Thomas Tuchel.
Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen have departed as free agents, while Cesar Azpilicueta’s future is up in the air. So strengthening the central defensive unit is a key priority for Tuchel, who wants at least two new defenders to compete across all fronts next season.
Chelsea’s interest in Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt is well documented. The 22-year-old cost Juventus £67.5 million in 2019 to bring him from Ajax and has since racked up 117 appearances for the Bianconeri. Juventus have been locked in talks with de Ligt’s representatives for months, wanting to extend his contract, especially now that Giorgio Chiellini has left for Los Angeles FC.
However, Maurizio Arrivabene has recently come out and suggested that Juventus could be forced into selling the Dutchman, who is keen on moving to Stamford Bridge, and has told the club he wishes to join Chelsea after lodging a transfer request.
Chelsea have emerged as the front-runners in securing the Dutchman’s signature in recent weeks after turning their attention away from long-term target Jules Kounde. But reaching an agreement with Juventus is not considered to be an easy task given the size of de Ligt’s release clause, which stands at £103 million, and Juventus’s reluctance to only entertain offers close to that mark.
To meet the criteria, the Blues are trying a lot of creative methods, offering Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic in a part-exchange deal. An offer of €45 million-plus Werner has already been made by Chelsea, but the bid has already been knocked back by Juventus, with Massimiliano Allegri understood to not be keen on taking the Blues’ fringe stars.
However, in a change of stance, the Serie A giants have decided they will take Werner as part of any deal but would want but want a higher fee from the English clubs. The Blues spent £50 million to sing Werner from RB Leipzig in 2020, but he has struggled to cope with the rigours of the Premier League, reflected by his return of just ten league goals in the two full seasons with the club.
Also Read: Three potential Romelu Lukaku replacements for Chelsea
The 26-year-old appears to have no shortage of takers in recent windows, though, with Juventus now taking a keen interest in him with a firm belief that the German international has what it takes to revitalize his career at the Allianz Stadium. So it will be interesting to see if Chelsea can clinch a part-exchange deal to sign de Ligt this summer.
