Chelsea are reportedly weighing up a potential £102million move for Juventus center-back Matthijs de Ligt.
The Stamford Bridge club have been searching for ways to close the defensive gap since losing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on a free transfer, and have reportedly inquired about Inter’s Milan Skriniar and Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli.
Kouliably has been seen as a popular option with a £ 40m offer, but Chelsea may decide the 22-year-old Dutchman is a solid long-term investor, and could also include a transfer of players to avoid going abroad. a full release clause of £ 102m.
The Telegraph reports that Juventus are adamant that any of De Ligt’s boys meet his release clause, while Football.London says Chelsea hope to make a £ 60m deal and send Christian Pulisic to Turin.
All reports agree that De Ligt wishes to move to the Premier League and that negotiations are progressing well, indicating that it could be a matter of time before the transfer fee is agreed upon.
Manchester City full-back Nathan Ake is also set to move to Chelsea – the club he spent five years with before moving to Bournemouth in 2017 – on a £ 40m deal with Calciomercato.
Chelsea may have acquired both Ake and Koulibaly for less than they could have paid for De Ligt, but if their transfer budget for the current window is close to the reported £ 200m, money may not be a problem.