According to Christian Falk, Matthijs de Ligt would like to focus on negotiations with Bayern Munich for now despite interest calling from Chelsea and Manchester United. It's not the best news for Chelsea fans worldwide to hear, as many would have anticipated the Blues announcing him any day now. It seems the Germans have caught the Dutch international's attention.
Chelsea and Juventus were close to agreeing on a fee for de Ligt. With Juventus compromising on their original £100million valuation of the 22-year-old, they are willing to accept £70million. The Blues were said to be about £10-15 million off Juventus' asking price. However, reports suggest they are ready to pay the £70million. The price tag makes a large dent in Todd Boehly's £200million dedicated spend for the transfer window.
As de Ligt wishes to only speak with Bayern Munich for now, Thomas Tuchel will need to prepare a contingency plan. There are still a couple of options left to go in for this summer. Options include, Kalidou Koulibaly, Presnel Kimpembe or an in house option, Levi Colwill.
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Presnel Kimpembe
According to journalist Christian Falk, Presnel Kimpembe has joined Chelsea's wish list of defenders alongside Matthijs de Ligt. It's no surprise, as this would not be the first time that Chelsea had been linked with the Frenchman. Last year, L'Equipe reported that Kimpembe was willing to leave PSG for a new challenge.
According to L’Équipe, Paris St Germain will not hold the French international back if a suitable offer for the player comes in. With PSG having their eyes on Inter Milan's Milan Skriniar, an exit for Kimpembe looks to be more than likely. Thomas Tuchel is also reportedly pushing to make this transfer happen. With Tuchel's approval in the mix, their reunion could soon become a reality.
Kalidou Koulibaly
According to Il Corriere dello Sport, Chelsea are among the clubs interested in Koulibaly. The Senegalese international reportedly wants to leave Italy completely if he is to leave Napoli, and Chelsea is a place of consideration.
The Mirror reports that Koulibaly could move to Chelsea for £40million. In a time when Tuchel's team is desperate for at least two new centre-backs and an entire squad rebuild, this price is an affordable win. The 31-year-old holds a high magnitude of experience, and Levi Colwill could benefit from learning from such a player.
Levi Colwill
An advantage to having Kalidou Koulibaly is that Levi Colwill can find a straight route into the first team. Colwill had a stellar season on loan with Huddersfield and is now expected to find his way into the first team. It may not be next season or the season after, but when it's time, the Blues will need him to step up and take the place of Koulibaly.
Having de Ligt ahead of Colwill in the pecking order may not bode well for assurance of opportunities. With just a three-year age gap, the pair will eventually end up fighting for their position. Is this something Colwill will be willing to do? Chelsea lost the likes of Tino Livramento and Marc Guehi in one window from their academy as they both wanted first-team football. They cannot afford to lose Colwill too.
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