Juventus enter fray to sign sought-after Chelsea contract rebel: Reports

Juventus have joined the race to sign Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen, according to AS via Tuttojuve.

The Danish defender came through the youth ranks at Cobham before making his first-team debut in 2015 in the League Cup against Shrewsbury Town.

He is now in the final year of his Chelsea deal and is free to negotiate pre-contracts with other clubs.

According to a recent report by Fabrizio Romano, Bayern Munich and Barcelona lead the race to sign the Danish defender.

Christensen's Chelsea career finally took off last year

Christensen has had a slow rise to the top at Chelsea. Although he made his debut in 2015, it was not until the arrival of Tuchel that he became a first-team regular.

He was sent out on loan in the middle for two seasons to Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach. He made 82 appearances for them, scoring seven goals in the process.

Upon returning, he was seen as a squad player. Under Frank Lampard, Christensen's frequency of first-team appearances increased but it was only under Tuchel that he became a regular. He has now racked up 148 appearances for Chelsea, with two goals to his name.

However, injuries and a complex contract situation has seen Christensen lose his regular spot in the team again. With less than six months left on his current contract, Christensen might not play too many games for the Blues this year.

Juventus to challenge Barcelona, Bayern Munich

Barcelona are in a crunch financial situation since last year and it is important for them to sign players available for free. The addition of Christensen will greatly aid their defense.

As for Bayern Munich, the German giants have seen the Danish defender's exploits first-hand during his two-year spell at Monchengladbach. They will be keen to add another promising young defender in Christensen to their ranks.

Juventus, have aging defenders in the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. They need a young but good defender to partner Matthijs de Ligt and Christensen could be the perfect solution for that.

It now remains to be seen who will give the most lucrative offer to the Danish star, who seems to have suitors in plenty ahead of next summer. It might also happen that he agrees a contract extension with Chelsea and stay at the Bridge next year.