Chelsea missed out on adding a new defender to their squad this summer but are looking to rectify that in 2022 and have reportedly placed Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt top of their target list.
Chelsea are reported to have made Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt their number one centre-back target for the summer of 2022.
The lack of a defensive addition to their squad was the only major letdown for the Blues this year so is top of the priority list for the upcoming transfer windows.
They tried hard to secure Jules Kounde from Sevilla but weren't willing to push their offer to his €80m release clause which the Spanish club were demanding.
A recent report from RMC Sport claimed Thomas Tuchel also fancied Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos but now they have a new top target.
According to Calciomercato, 22-year-old de Ligt is ‘one of the very first goals for Chelsea next summer’.
The Dutch international has been on the club's radar for sometime, but now it appears they want him above everyone else.
Come next summer he will have just two years left on his contract in Turin and a release clause will become active.
This will mean if the Blues stump up €150m, or £130m, they will be able to take him from the Serie A to the Premier League.
De Ligt had come under-fire recently for an underwhelming start to the season which saw him dropped to the bench for big matches against Napoli and AC Milan.
His position in the team was reinstated in their latest fixture on Wednesday and he scored the winner in a 3-2 victory over Spezia.
At such a young age he holds significant experience and potential to become an established stalwart in the Chelsea side for years to come.
In contrast, Marquinhos, who Tuchel managed during his time in charge of PSG, is aged 27 and therefore doesn't offer the same youthfulness.
Kounde, like de Ligt, is also 22 and has less than three years left on his current contract, so should be available for a cheaper price next summer.
However, it seems the Frenchman isn't held in such high regard as de Ligt and will now be a back-up option.
