English Premier League giants Chelsea joined the hunt for Matthijs de Ligt’s signature. The Juventus defender is targeted to be a replacement for Antonio Rudiger who will leave for Real Madrid on a free transfer.
Reporting from Metro , Rudiger is a mainstay player at Stamford Bridge. No wonder the Blues had tried to stop the departure of the German defender. Unfortunately, Rudiger chose to leave for the Bernabeu. His move was also confirmed by Chelsea last week.
“We say goodbye to Antonio Rudiger who will leave Stamford Bridge because his contract at Chelsea has expired,” the club said of Rudiger’s departure, as reported by Sportsmole .
Aim De Ligt
These conditions make the Blues need to rush to find a replacement. Sevilla’s Jules Kunde has previously been linked with the Stamford Bridge position.
However, talkSPORT ‘s recent reports claim Thomas Tuchel is interested in signing De Ligt to strengthen his defence.
As is known, De Ligt is one of the most sought-after defenders in Europe thanks to his brilliant performances when he was in the Ajax uniform. He successfully helped Erik ten Hag’s concoction squad win the Eredivisie and step into the Champions League semifinals.
Must Have Big Funds
De Ligt made a move to Juventus in 2019. However, his performance with the Lady was not as brilliant as when he was at the Johan Cruyff Arena. Apart from that, Chelsea still have to pour big funds if they want to bring De Ligt from Turin.
The reason is, the 22-year-old footballer is still under contract until the summer of 2024. He also has a release clause of 120 million euros in an agreement with Juventus.
Confirm De Ligt
De Ligt had time to comment on his future in Turin. The Netherlands international admits he is in talks with the club regarding this.
“Talks (with the club) are ongoing, and when the time comes, I will decide whether I want to extend (the contract) or look further,” De Ligt told Dutch media NOS, as reported by Metro.
De Ligt also highlighted Juventus’ performance in Serie A. Massimiliano Allergi’s squad is known to only be able to finish in fourth place in the Italian League final standings with a score of 70 points.
Despite getting a place in the Champions League, he considered this achievement unsatisfactory. Moreover, the Bianconeri have obtained similar results last season.
(Finishing in) fourth place twice in a row is not good enough, we have to take a step in that direction.”
Other Clubs
Chelsea now have to compete with other clubs for De Ligt’s signature. The reason is, the Blues are not the only team who put their hearts on the player. English Premier League rivals Manchester United are also interested in hiring the services of De Ligt.
This is inseparable from the arrival of Erik ten Hag as the new permanent manager at Old Trafford. Reporting from The Sun, Ten Hag is a big fan of De Ligt. He intends to bring players from the Netherlands to the Red Devils as part of efforts to build the MU squad.
Meanwhile, De Ligt and Ten Hag have worked together at Ajax Amsterdam. Therefore, the planned transfer to Manchester United would be an attractive reunion prospect for both the player and the coach himself.
