Juventus have offered Matthijs De Ligt to Chelsea (PA)
Chelsea have been offered the opportunity to sign Juventus center-back Matthijs de Ligt, according to reports.
The Champions League champs were keen to beef up their defensive options in the summer and came close to signing Jules Kounde before Sevilla raised their sales price late in the summer window.
Chelsea have retained their interest in Kounde, but Sevilla are expecting € 80 million (£ 68.5 million) that the Premier League club refused to match in August.
Thomas Tuchel’s team is now exploring alternatives and according to Goal, De Ligt could now be a possibility as Juventus are interested in a deal.
The report claims that Juventus are ‘ready to dump’ De Ligt as they want his £ 280,000 a week salary from his salary bill.
In an interview with Italian media last month, De Ligt’s agent Mino Raiola made it clear that the Netherlands international could be sold next summer.
Matthijs de Ligt played Chelsea in the Champions League last month (AP)
“De Ligt could also leave Juventus at the end of the season,” Raiola said.
‘This is how the market works, there are many clubs that are interested in their services.’
De Ligt, who came to Juventus from Ajax in a £ 67.5 million deal in 2019, has been splitting his playing time with 37-year-old Giorgio Chiellini this season.
De Ligt reportedly has a 150 million euro (126 million pound) release clause in his contract with Juventus, which will be active next summer.
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