'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Chelsea are willing to break the bank to secure the services of Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt in 2022, according to Spanish outlet AS (via the Express).
Chelsea are in dire need of a new centre-back after they failed to sign their primary target, Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, in the recently concluded transfer window.
This has prompted the European champions to dip into the transfer window yet again for a new defender, either in January or next summer.
According to the aforementioned report, Chelsea are willing to pay as much as £102 million to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus in the coming months. Blues owner Roman Abramovich is personally advocating a deal after failing to sign Jules Kounde in the summer.
Matthijs de Ligt is contracted at Juventus until the summer of 2024. The 22-year-old Dutchman was the star in Bianconeri's first win of the season against Spezia.
He netted the winner in the 72th minute to hand Massimiliano Allegri his first league win of the season. However, Juventus have started the new campaign slowly and currently sit 12th in the table.
Matthijs de Ligt's agent Mino Raiola has not ruled out a move away from Juventus for the young defender.
Raiola recently admitted that anything could happen in the transfer window and a big club like Chelsea could sign De Ligt in the future. Raiola said:
"Watch out: Matthijs de Ligt is one of the best centre-backs in Europe. He could leave Juve at the end of the season. The market works like this.”
Despite Raiola advertising a move away from Juventus, De Ligt contradicted his agent by suggesting he was happy to stay at the Allianz Stadium.
"I feel good, I feel good with Allegri too. He has a lot of attention for the defensive phase, it’s very important, I worked a lot and I’m happy."
De Ligt has made 81 appearances for the Bianconeri so far, netting six goals and providing two assists. He has won one Serie A title, one Coppa Italia and one Supercoppa Italiana with the club.
Chelsea are in desperate need of a new centre-back
Despite their decent start to the new season, Chelsea are still a defender short of competing on all fronts. The Blues sold two defenders in Fikayo Tomori and Kurt Zouma, expecting they would be signing Jules Kounde to replace them.
However, the deal to sign Kounde broke down after Sevilla rejected Chelsea's offer of £43 million.
Another reason for Chelsea to sign a new centre-back is the situation surrounding Thiago Silva. The Brazilian defender is 36 years old and is out of contract at the end of the current season.
Also one of the reasons is the fact that Antonio Rudiger is in the final year of his Chelsea contract and hasn't agreed a new deal yet. Hence, signing a young centre-back is Chelsea's priority in 2022, be it Jules Kounde or Matthijs de Ligt.
