Matthijs De Ligt is under contract until 2024. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)
According to Italian outlet Calciomercato (h/t Football.London), Juventus have made a fresh fee demand for Dutch prodigy Matthijs de Ligt, who is attracting interest from Chelsea.
Chelsea’s interest in the Dutch international is well known, with Tuchel in desperate need of defensive reinforcements after Antonio Rudiger left. Thiago Silva is ageing while Andreas Christensen is set to exit the Bridge as well.
Moreover, Trevoh Chalobah was hardly trusted by our German boss since the start of April, while Cesar Azpilicueta’s future is also up in the air.
De Ligt also provides a wealth of experience at the top level of football, having played in 117 competitive games each for both Juventus and Ajax, and earning 38 caps for the Netherlands.
Chelsea and Juventus are negotiating a part-exchange deal for De Ligt that would include Timo Werner. But, negotiations seem to be turning difficult for the Blues, especially given that the Serie A giants are expecting a large sum of money.
Now, it is believed that Even though they are willing to accept the German as a makeweight, the Bianconeri want between £60 and £68 million in cash to part ways with De Ligt’s talents.
The 22-year-old has been a constant presence in the Bianconeri lineup, so Chelsea will be aware that they will need to offer a higher price to convince the Serie A team to approve the sale of the player, especially after Giorgio Chiellini’s move to MLS.
De Ligt could fit Thomas Tuchel’s approach because he frequently plays in a back three, especially for the Netherlands.
While Chelsea is lacking in defensive depth, both Manchester City and Liverpool have a strong centre-back partnership with sufficient backups. A strong backline is of the utmost importance if Chelsea want to compete with their rivals on multiple fronts.
The transfer values between the two clubs are currently very different, but Chelsea would do well to lower Juve’s demands. Perhaps, teams around Europe have an idea about the defensive crisis at SW6 and understand the desperation for new faces.
We must not be held hostage to any club’s demands but should also understand that early business this summer will allow the squad to gel properly before the start of the new campaign.
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