Transfer News: Chelsea willing to offer cash plus Timo Werner for Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt
As per Italian publication Calciomercatoweb (h/t Mirror), Thomas Tuchel is willing to offer Timo Werner plus €60million to bring Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus to Chelsea.
The Dutch centre-back signed for the Old Lady in a headline-making move two years back. The €75million fee they paid for him, considering the player’s age and quality, hasn’t looked like a waste.
The former Ajax defender has established himself as a regular fixture in Juventus and The Netherlands’ starting line-ups. Chelsea going for a player like him would be good news for the fans.
With Thiago Silva not getting any younger and a number of Blues defenders in the last year of their Stamford Bridge deals, a 21-year-old defender with the defensive acumen of de Ligt only makes sense.
Werner to be sold already?
The report from Mirror adds that the potential signing of Romelu Lukaku could see Timo Werner struggle for regular chances in the team. But that would be a pretty odd sight for the Blues faithful if the German is sold.
The former RB Leipzig frontman was regularly started by Tuchel last season and it has only been one year since he joined the club. It would be harsh to give up on him after just 12 months at the Bridge.
While Lukaku, if signed, would undoubtedly warrant for a starting place, Werner has played out wide and can do so if the Belgian establishes himself as the undisputed number 9 for the Blues.
In another scenario, Tuchel would also need someone to provide backup to Lukaku and to make sure Chelsea have enough depth and competition in their squad after the departure of Olivier Giroud.
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And this is where Werner can still play a role for the club even if they sign the Inter Milan striker. De Ligt would undoubtedly be a big addition but it shouldn’t come at the cost of selling a first-team player.