Chelsea have reportedly stepped up their pursuit of Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt, a target for Liverpool and Manchester United.
According to Calciomercato, Chelsea continue to push to secure the signing of Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt and are set to initiate discussions with the Serie A side. The Blues have prioritised strengthening the central defensive department, and de Ligt is one of their top targets, although they will face competition from Liverpool and Manchester United.
Chelsea have already lost Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid, while Andreas Christensen is on the verge of joining Barcelona in a Bosman move. With the departures of two first-choice centre-backs, the Blues are in serious need of defensive reinforcements.
The west Londoners had set their sights on Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde after failing to acquire his services last summer. Chelsea were confident of getting the deal through, but competition from Barcelona and Sevilla’s demands have made them put a move for the Frenchman on the back-burner.
Chelsea have now shifted their attention towards de Ligt, who is reportedly looking to leave Juventus this summer. The Bianconeri have approached the Dutch defender with a renewal offer and are eager to tie him down for the long haul. But de Ligt has refused to enter into discussions and is now exploring his options.
The 23-year-old has two years remaining on his contract with the Italian giants. Juventus have laid out their demands that the Dutch international’s release clause of €125 million needs to be met for any interested party. However, as per the report, they are ready to negotiate further amid interest from Chelsea.
Juventus’s representatives will meet their Chelsea counterparts this week to discuss the terms of a possible transfer. Chelsea are willing to ‘go all the way’ to secure the Dutchman’s signature, who is not currently prioritising a Juventus stay.
Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool are also said to be showing interest, but they are yet to make an official approach. The player is said to be keen on a move to Chelsea, which effectively rules Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United out of the equation.
Barcelona were also among the interested parties. But they have now stepped out of the race to sign the defender due to Juventus’s high valuation. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea manage to beat Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United to the signature of the Dutch defender.
