Chelsea ‘in pole position’ for signing – Player ‘first choice’ for Thomas Tuchel this summer

A week ago, Calciomercato reported Chelsea are serious about signing Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt.

The Serie A side are pushing to renew the 22-year-old’s contract beyond 2024 as it can help them avoid assaults from other clubs for him.

That’s according to a latest report from Calciomercato, who explain Juve are in continuous contact with the defender’s representative, Rafaela Pimenta, who is also working to bring Paul Pogba back to the Turin club.

The Old Lady’s idea is to tie down the centre-back to a new deal until 2026, and lower his clause from €120m to €80m, which can be activated next year. That would also include a reduced salary from €11m to €8m per year.

As Massimiliano Allegri’s side push to secure the Netherlands international’s long-term future, there are other clubs in the background, trying to take him away from Juventus.

Among them is Chelsea. It’s claimed the Blues are ‘in pole position’ to sign De Ligt as he is the ‘first choice’ target for Thomas Tuchel this summer.

De Ligt has a decision to make, whether to make a move elsewhere now or postpone his exit from Juve for a year.

The Italian club, down their end, want to renew his deal. The player’s exit will help them raise funds, but at the same time it will leave them a void in defence.