Talks over Matthijs De Ligt are going well, with Chelsea also hoping to sign Manchester City defender Nathan Ake, who is close friends with Manchester City teammate Raheem Sterling. Chelsea is looking to sign at least two defensive players this summer after Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger left and are in talks to sign both Matthijs de Ligt and Manchester City defender Nathan Ake. Chelsea target Matthijs de Ligt is currently signed until 2024 by Juventus. Still, his future is under a bit of a cloud this summer, with Manchester City being the latest club to express interest, while Nathan Ake looks set to depart to Chelsea. There are conflicting reports from Italy over how Juventus wants Chelsea to structure the deal. Chelsea cannot finalise a deal this summer without another club trying to snatch the business away from them.
Italian publication La Stampa has reported that, along with offering Juventus defender Matthijs De Ligt a five-year deal, a PS 9m wages package has been put on the table as Thomas Tuchel looks to flex his financial muscles. Juventus defender Matthijs De Ligt is reported to prefer a Premier League move over a move to the Bundesliga, as Chelsea is looking to beat Bayern Munich to the punch in this transfer race; thanks to the generous offer of personal terms they have put on the table. The Juventus defender has piqued the curiosity of three European powerhouses: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea. The former Ajax man has a €120 million buyout clause in place, but it has been suggested that the Italian giants might be ready to approve his departure for a cheaper amount. However, the number of supporters is divided on whether Manchester City would pursue the Dutchman, given that his stock has decreased since his move to Turin in 2019.
Given that Ake has been the Premier League winners’ fourth-choice centre-back for the past two seasons, de Ligt will be expected to fill the same position in sky blue next season. Despite all indications that a deal for the imperious defence makes sense, it is unlikely that Manchester City will take such a large investment in a player who will be an understudy next season. Arsenal defender Gabriel is swiftly becoming the most likely alternative for Juventus, owing to the departures of Kalidou Koulibaly and Gleison Bremer, but Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile is also a possibility. The 24-year-old Brazilian was bought from LOSC in September 2020 for €26 million and is under agreement with Arsenal until 2025. Gabriel is also a goal threat, having scored five goals in 35 Premier League outings last season.
