With Antonio Rüdiger, César Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen all out of contract, at least as things stand, at the end of the season, there is likely to be a need for a new centre-back at Chelsea in the summer.
The club tried to preempt that in the last transfer window by making a rather feeble attempt to sign Jules Koundé, but there are other names reportedly being looked at.
Matthijs De Ligt is one of those, with it believed the Dutchman, should Juventus fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League, could be sold to compensate the missing prize money that comes with the competition.
The other is Federico Chiesa, and Gazzetta dello Sport make it clear that ending up in the Europa League would cast ‘many more doubts’ on the pair’s future.
Calciomercato, on the other hand, are far more direct, claiming the centre-back ‘could be sacrificed’ should that happen, with it explained he has ‘a lot of interest in England’, before naming Chelsea, who ‘will lose Rüdiger’.
Thus, the Blues are ‘ready for a new assault after the one that failed last summer’.
So, there you have it: Chelsea’s money could save Juventus’ bank accounts, but it would come at a hefty cost of losing one of their best players.
Decisions, decisions.
