On Monday afternoon, a twist appeared from Germany in the Matthijs de Ligt saga, as Chelsea were joined by Bayern Munich.
It was quite the claim too, as the German media pushed the idea that the Dutchman wanted to move to Bavaria instead of London, which wasn’t great news for the Blues.
The Italian newspapers picked all this up on Tuesday, and we’ll start with Gazzetta dello Sport.
They make clear there is ‘no shortage of suitors’ for the defender, but Chelsea remain ‘in pole’, as they are the ‘only club to have formally stepped forward with Juventus’ and made an offer of €70m + €10m in bonuses.
That wasn’t enough, though, and while they regrouped, Bayern Munich appeared, ready to offer a bit less than the Blues (around €70m).
It’s hinted ‘the interest from the Germans could push Chelsea to up the ante’, meaning they could come close to what Juventus want, which is €100m.
Corriere dello Sport have a similar take, pointing out that Thomas Tuchel’s side ‘are managing a position of advantage gained thanks to a courtship started well before the complicated change of ownership’ at Stamford Bridge.
However, they can’t waste too much time, with plenty of other interested parties, including the late inclusion of Bayern Munich.
Chelsea know this, which is why they ‘do not stop’, as ‘new contacts’ took place on Monday ‘to further reach an agreement with Rafaela Pimenta on De Ligt’s wages’, which would be a ‘five-year deal with option for a sixth based on €12-13m per season post tax’.
They are also working on a new offer of €75m + bonuses that Juventus ‘hope to see rise to at least €100m overall’.
That price tag hasn’t changed, and we’ll have to see what Bayern waltzing in does to Chelsea’s plans in the short-term.
