Chelsea launch bid to sign defender, but could face competition from Manchester City: Reports
Chelsea have reportedly made an initial approach for Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt as they hope to plot a defensive rebuild this transfer window.
De Ligt, who came to prominence with his towering performances for his boyhood club Ajax, has been linked with a host of clubs this summer. Among them, Chelsea and Manchester United stand out from the rest, as per a report by Metro.
The 22-year-old helped the Old Lady clinch the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia trophy in successive years. However, Juventus finished fourth in Serie A in the last two seasons. They lost the finals of Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in the 2021-22 season.
According to Evening Standard, the Blues have placed an initial bid for the centre-back but are set to face competition from Manchester City. The report further states that the Serie A club are open to offers in the region of £85 million.
Chelsea are interested in signing central defender Matthijs de Ligt who has a release clause of around €120m. There is no way the Premier League side will pay that amount for him.💰
[via @SkyKaveh]. https://t.co/Y95WRO5ltN
Since joining the Turin club in 2019, De Ligt has featured in 117 matches across all competitions. He has also registered eight goals and three assists along the way. He played an impressive 3691 minutes last season, scoring three times.
Meanwhile, the Blues are also in the race to sign Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde for a reported fee of £65 million, according to a report by The Sun. Chelsea are also reportedly interested in signing Lens right-back Jonathan Clauss [via The Sun]. They are also interested in Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri [via The Sun].
Chelsea look for Romelu Lukaku replacements
The Blues are reportedly interested in five forwards to fill the shoes of the departing striker Romelu Lukaku. The 29-year-old joined Chelsea last summer on a club-record deal worth £97.5 million. However, he is set to move back to Serie A side Inter Milan on loan this summer after failing to make an impact with the Blues (via Fabrizio Romano).
🤝 #CFC Chelsea and Inter have all paperworks now ready to be signed in order to announce Romelu Lukaku deal next week. Belgian striker will also fly to Italy next week to undergo medicals and sign the contract. 🔵🤝 #CFC
No buy option or obligation clause - normal loan, confirmed.
According to a report by the Daily Mail, the club has now identified a few attackers to replace the Belgian. This includes Bayern Munich talisman Robert Lewandowski, Everton forward Richarlison, Lille attacker Jonathan David, Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Sassuolo poacher Gianluca Scamacca.
Meanwhile, the London club are confident of signing Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling for around £35 million, as per journalist Gianluca Di Marzio. Sterling has intimated Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola that he's open to a new challenge.