Juventus have reportedly set an asking price of £75m for Matthijs de Ligt, with Chelsea facing competition from Bayern Munich in the race to sign the defender.
Chelsea have opened talks over a deal to sign De Ligt as the Blues look to add to their centre-back options, having seen Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen depart on free transfers this summer.
De Ligt is the leading target for the west Londoners, though Juventus will demand a huge fee for the 22-year-old with the Times reporting that the Italian side have set an asking price of £75m.
Bayern Munich are also interested in a deal and Sport1 claim that De Ligt is keen on a move to Germany, though there are doubts as to whether the Bundesliga champions can meet Juventus’ valuation.
De Ligt – who has two years remaining on his current contract – signed for Juventus in €75m deal from Ajax in 2019 and has since made 117 appearances across all competitions, winning the Serie A title during the 2019/20 campaign.
Chelsea have alternative targets should a move fail to materialise, with Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde and Manchester City’s Nathan Ake also among the defenders under consideration.
Thomas Tuchel is also hopeful of concluding a deal to sign Raheem Sterling before the club’s pre-season tour and talks with Manchester City are understood to be at an advanced stage.
