Chelsea have entered the race to sign Juventus and Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt as Thomas Tuchel looks to replace Antonio Rudiger.
The Blues need a new central defender after Rudiger completed a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid and have been linked with Sevilla’s Jules Kounde.
De Ligt is also of interest to Chelsea, according to talkSPORT, who say Tuchel could move for the Dutchman as he prepares to rebuild his defence.
Rudiger was a mainstay at Stamford Bridge for several seasons and Chelsea were desperate to prevent the German from leaving.
But a move to the Bernabeu was confirmed last week and Chelsea are keen to secure a replacement as soon as possible, with the summer transfer window opening on Friday.
De Ligt emerged as one of the most highly-rated defenders in Europe during his spell at Ajax and helped Erik ten Hag’s side win the Eredivisie and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
He was expected to establish himself as a key player at the Allianz Stadium for many years after his move to Turin in 2019, but the 22-year-old has somewhat underwhelmed for the Italian club.
Despite this, it will require a serious investment to poach De Ligt from Juventus as he has a €120m (£102m) release clause and is under contract until the summer of 2024.
But Chelsea are not the only club to express interest in the centre-back, with their Premier League rivals Manchester United also linked with a move since Ten Hag’s appointment as manager.
De Ligt was asked about his future at Juventus on Sunday and told Dutch outlet NOS: ‘Talks are currently being held and when the time comes, I will decide whether I will extend or whether I want to look further.
‘I always look at what is best for myself in terms of the sporting project. Fourth place in a row twice is not good enough, we will have to make steps in that direction.’
De Ligt started 29 of Juventus’ 39 league games last season as Massimiliano Allegri’s side finished fourth, 16 points behind Serie A champions AC Milan.
Last week, former Arsenal and England winger Paul Merson said Rudiger would be a ‘massive miss’ for Chelsea next season and questioned whether Kounde was a suitable replacement.
‘Antonio Rudiger’s been absolutely outstanding for Chelsea. I can’t remember him having a bad game if I’m being honest,’ he told Sportskeeda.
‘He’s been consistently brilliant in the Premier League this season. Rudiger’s going to be a massive miss for Thomas Tuchel next season.
‘He’s going to be a hard one to replace, and I’m not sure if the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly and Jules Kounde can fill his boots. If there is a worry for Chelsea this year, it’s finding Rudiger’s replacement.’
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