Chelsea are set to make a massive move for Juventus star Matthijs De Ligt, in a bid to reshape their crumbling defence.
That's according to La Repubblica, who claim that the Blues are one of three clubs desperate to sign the former Ajax captain, along with Barcelona and Bayern Munich – though Chelsea have the most money of the three.
Barca head coach Xavi is reportedly very keen on adding De Ligt to his backline, which is currently being propped up by Eric Garcia and Gerard Pique. Financial muscle is an issue for the Catalans – though De Ligt may wish to link up with his close friend Frenkie De Jong, should he move to Camp Nou.
Bayern have options like Dayot Upamecano and Lucas Hernandez in their defence – and although the addition of De Ligt would be a more expensive than the average transfer to the Bavarian giants, the Dutchman would be seen as a long-term option in that position.
Chelsea meanwhile are in a state of flux defensively and are set to lose both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen at the end of the season, as things stand. The European champions have been heavily linked with a move for Jules Kounde and adding De Ligt would enable Tuchel to move to a back four.
There are rumours, too, that the west Londoners may attempt to snare De Jong from Barca, reuniting the pair who came through the Ajax academy.
Still only 22, De Ligt has risen to become one of the most promising defenders in world football since captaining Ajax from a young age. But while De Ligt's career in Serie A has been solid, it's been unspectacular with the Turin giants struggling to challenge for the Champions League.
De Ligt is valued at £58.5m on Transfermarkt.
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