Blues in pole position to land Tuchel’s ‘first-choice’ target with €120 million release clause
To bolster their defense before the start of the 2022–23 season, Chelsea is reportedly interested in signing Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt.
The 22-year-old has been linked with a number of clubs this summer after becoming famous for his impressive performances for Eredivisie club Ajax. According to a Metro story, Chelsea and Manchester United stand out among them.
The center-back was prize-less last season after helping Juventus win the Serie A championship and the Coppa Italia trophy in back-to-back seasons. The 2021–22 season saw The Old Lady finish fourth in Serie A and lose both the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana finals.
Calciomercato [via Sport Witness] said that De Ligt has emerged as the Blues’ “first-choice” target this transfer window, putting Chelsea “in pole position” to sign him. The Serie A team is attempting to extend the contract of the Dutch defender past 2024, though.
Juventus is eager to extend De Ligt’s contract until 2026 and is in constant contact with Rafaela Pimenta, the center-agent. back’s The club intends to reduce his annual pay from €11 million to €8 million as well as his release clause from €120 million to €80 million through this process.
De Ligt has played in 117 games in all competitions since joining the Turin club in 2019, contributing to eight goals and three assists. Last season, he put in an incredible 3691 minutes while scoring three goals.