Wanting a new centre-back in the summer, Thomas Tuchel clearly drew a list of targets, which Chelsea tried to get.
Marquinhos will have been near the top, with claims the Blues were ready to spend close to €100m on him, while Jules Koundé, for whom the Premier League club lowballed Sevilla, might have been nearer the bottom.
One player who might not have been on that list, but most certainly appears to be now, however, is Matthijs De Ligt.
The Juventus defender has found himself criticised for his early season performances, and a trip to the bench for the games against Napoli and Milan ensued.
He then returned on Wednesday night against Spezia, where he scored, and all seems to be on the right track again, but Chelsea’s interest has now appeared.
Calciomercato.it claim the Dutchman ‘remains in the sights of Chelsea’, and is now ‘one of the very first goals for the Blues next summer’.
With Antonio Rüdiger’s future currently up in the air and Thiago Silva not getting any younger, new players could be needed in the role next year, and De Ligt seems to fit the bill.
The website explain that ‘under certain conditions, Juventus could evaluate offers’ for the player, whom they paid Ajax around €75m for two years ago and who has a wage of €12m/year, bonuses included.
His availability on the transfer market should become more apparent as the season goes on, because if Allegri continues to pull him in and out of the starting eleven, the player could become frustrated at his lack of continuity.
