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Chelsea are reportedly keen on making a transfer move for Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt this summer, as seen in the Mirror.
The Blues have identified the 22-year-old Dutch star as one of the top players who could help strengthen their defense ahead of next season.
Recall that the West London club have already lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen and would be keen on replacing the duo.
With attention now on de Ligt, it will require a huge transfer bid to be able to convince Juventus to part ways with the highly-rated defender.
Recall that the Italian giants signed de Ligt for a whopping €75 million in 2019 and would probably demand nothing less than that from Chelsea.
However, going by reports, it looks very likely that the Blues could explore the opportunity of a player plus a cash deal for de Ligt.
The opportunity to include a Chelsea player in any deal for the 22-year-old defender could help lower the asking price from Juventus.
The Blues have a very robust squad and could be willing to offer some fringe players in exchange for de Ligt.
This article will thus take a look at some Chelsea players who could be used in a potential swap deal for the Juventus star.
#3 Emerson Palmieri
One player who could be considered by the Blues in a player-swap deal to sign de Ligt this summer is defender Emerson.
The 27-year-old Brazilian-born Italian international has been previously linked with Juventus in recent years (via the Sun). He could also be tempted by the idea of returning to Italy this summer.
Recall that Emerson hasn't been able to nail down a starting spot at Stamford Bridge since signing for the Blues in 2018 from AS Roma.
The defender has mostly been used as a back-up to Marcos Alonso and Ben Chilwell at left-back. This led to him moving out on loan to Lyon in Ligue 1, during the 2021-22 football season in order to secure first-team football.
Ahead of the new campaign, Emerson will probably want to be guaranteed more minutes under Thomas Tuchel. A swap deal with de Ligt could be an avenue for him to get more game time at Juventus.
He played a combined total of 37 games in all competitions for Lyon on loan last season, with 29 of those coming in the league.
#2 Jorginho
Another Chelsea star who has continually been on Juventus' radar and could be used in a swap deal for de Ligt is Jorginho. The Blues' vice-captain was the subject of transfer interest from Juventus during Maurizio Sarri's era in Turin.
Jorginho's agent Joao Santos has always stated his client's desire to return to Italian Serie A someday, as seen in Sport Illustrated.
That factor could be explored by the Blues this summer in tempting Juventus into lowering their asking price for de Ligt.
It could be a win-win situation for both sides, as the Blues will have an opportunity to strengthen their defense. Juventus, on the other hand, will also have the chance to land their long-term midfield target in Jorginho.
#3 Timo Werner
Another player who could also be considered by the Blues is German striker Werner, who has struggled to adapt to life in England.
Recall that Werner joined the Blues in the summer of 2020 from RB Leipzig for a fee in the region of £49.5 million.
The 26-year-old striker has endured a relatively difficult two seasons in the Premier League and could be keen on an exit from Chelsea. However, very few clubs have indicated interest in the German international, reasoning why Juventus could be a suitable destination.
Werner's valuation is still very decent despite his poor showing at Chelsea, as he is said to be valued at €35 million by Transfermarkt.
He scored a total of 11 goals and provided six assists for the Blues last season. His game time was reduced last campaign as he managed just 1,285 minutes which was less than the 2020-21 season (2,606 minutes).
