With the uncertain future of a number of centre-backs at Chelsea, it’s clear that there will be some movement in the defence at Stamford Bridge this summer.
Whether Thomas Tuchel gets to keep some of his current players remains to be seen, but we can almost certainly guarantee one arrival, with Andreas Christensen expected to join Barcelona.
One of the players who could be targeted is Merih Demiral, currently at Atalanta on loan from Juventus.
The Turkey international was brought in to replace Cristian Romero, who was sold to Tottenham, and a similar deal could take place this summer.
By that, we mean Atalanta triggering the option to buy in their deal with Juventus to then sell the player on at a profit to Chelsea, who are reportedly interested.
Asked who is interested in Demiral, he said: “The two Madrid teams, Real and Atletico, are very interested. I can say that Diego Simeone would like to see him in his team. In addition to these two teams, Everton and Chelsea would also be interested in a player like Merih.”
As for the price, he said: “Yes, Atalanta will redeem him and then sell it for a higher amount. It takes €28m to buy him definitively from Juventus, the situation is really very clear. My thought is that, then, they will be able to sell it twice as much.”
Whether they get their man remains to be seen, but his imposing physique would certainly fit in the Premier League, and if one or more centre-backs leave Chelsea this summer, he could be an ideal replacement.
