Transfer News: Chelsea handed blow in pursuit of Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt as Bayern Munich set to seal deal
According to popular Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano (h/t football.london), Chelsea have been handed a blow in the pursuit of Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt with the talented Dutch centre-back supposedly on his way to Bayern Munich this summer.
The Blues have been interested in signing the talented centre-back but the Dutch superstar seems to want a move to Munich. Now, it has emerged that the German club have reached an agreement with Juventus for the transfer of the 22-year-old defender.
Chelsea’s interest in de Ligt is not surprising. The Blues have lost a couple of high-profile names in their back line and they need to make reinforcements for the same. Having already secured the signing of Koulibaly from Napoli, the Dutchman offered them another option.
Romano claims that Bayern Munich have reached an agreement with Juventus for a package worth more than €80m and this makes it very evident that even if we tried to sign the Dutchman, he would not have come for cheap at all this summer.
One of the most talented young defenders in the world, De Ligt joined Juventus from Ajax in 2019 on the back of a stupendous season with the Eredivisie giants. The Dutchman was the captain of the team that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League even being minutes away from reaching the final.
A natural leader at the back, de Ligt is a born talent. He is exceptional for a centre-back considering how young he is. Despite his age, he already has so much experience playing top-flight football. Right now, he can be considered one of the best centre-backs in Serie A.
Things have not always been smooth sailing for De Ligt in Italy. The 22-year-old initially struggled to adapt to the rigours of Italian football but he has only gotten better each season. Last campaign, he began to slowly displace Giorgio Chiellini from the starting lineup, who has now left Turin.
Now that he is set to go to Germany, de Ligt seems set for a new experience. Considering that he has so much football behind him, he might not struggle in the Bundesliga as he did in Italian football and this could be the next launchpad for his career.
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De Ligt might not be coming to Chelsea now but it is only a matter of time before he tries out an English club. He could be an option for us in the future but right now, it’s time to look at other alternatives.