Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues enter race for Juventus defender; Thomas Tuchel says club have suffered due to N'Golo Kante absence, and more - 21 May 2022
Chelsea are third in the Premier League with one game left to play this season. The Blues are three points ahead of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Meanwhile, the London giants have entered the race to sign a Juventus defender. Elsewhere, Blues manager Thomas Tuchel has said that his team have suffered due to N'Golo Kante's absence.
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#CheWat https://t.co/BV0bVG9r9c
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on 21 May 2022:
Chelsea enter race for Matthijs de Ligt
Chelsea have entered the race to sign Matthijs de Ligt, according to The Hard Tackle via Calciomercato. The Dutch defender has endured mixed times in Turin since joining in 2019. The Bianconeri have offered to extend his stay at the club, but the player is yet to make a decision on his future. De Ligt is pushing for a decrease of his current release clause of €125 million.
The Blues are monitoring his situation with interest. Tuchel is likely to be without both Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger next season. The German manager desperately needs a new centre-back this summer and has his eyes on De Ligt. However, the Dutchman is also wanted by Barcelona and Liverpool.
De Ligt has made over 100 appearances for the Bianconeri, winning one Serie A title.
Thomas Tuchel says Blues have suffered due to N'Golo Kante's absence this season
Thomas Tuchel believes Chelsea have suffered this season due to the absence of N'Golo Kante. The French midfielder has endured an injury-riddled season and has started just 20 times in the Premier League.
@AdamNewson #CFC
Thomas Tuchel on N’Golo Kanté: “I think he is our key player - but key, key players have to be on the pitch and he only plays 40% of games. He is our Mo Salah, van Dijk. He is our Kylian Mbappé”. 🔵 @AdamNewson #CFC
Clear message as Kanté’s current contract expires in June 2023. https://t.co/cLFlFEfsj5
Speaking after the draw against Leicester City, Tuchel heaped praise on Kante, saying:
“I think he is our key, key, key player; but key, key, key players need to be on the pitch. He plays only 40 per cent of the games. So it’s maybe a miracle that we arrived in third place. Because he is our Mo Salah; he is our (Virgil) Van Dijk; he is our (Kevin) De Bruyne; he is simply that player. He is our Neymar; he is our Kylian Mbappe; he is the guy who makes the difference. And if you only have him 40 per cent, it’s a huge problem."
He continued:
"Given that percentage, it’s maybe a miracle of how consistent we produce results and puts everything into perspective. Because I saw Liverpool without Van Dijk last season, and they struggled heavily. And you see the difference. So N’Golo is our key player, and he needs to be on the pitch."
Kante's contract with the Blues expires next summer.
Jody Morris opens up on Andreas Christensen controversy
Chelsea legend Jody Morris has opened up on Andreas Christensen's refusal to play for the Blues in the FA Cup final. The Danish defender is all set to leave Stamford Bridge as a free agent at the end of the season.
Speaking to Stadium Astro, Morris said that he has also experienced a similar situation with Christensen before.
"To be fair, we experienced that ourselves when we were here working with Andreas. You never know what some players are going through. Whether it be nerves or whether it be something off the pitch. We experienced it a few times with Andreas, but I don’t think he’s the only player who has experienced that. He might be a bit more honest about that side of it," said Morris.
He added:
"Of course, you do want players who you can rely on. Someone like Cesar Azpilicueta, who has cemented his place in Chelsea’s history; he’s one of the best defenders to have played for the club. You’d have to say Rudiger, too. Under Thomas Tuchel, he’s been in the form of his life. He’s earned a big move away."