Chelsea have been handed a major transfer blow as Matthijs de Ligt reportedly prefers a move to Bayern Munich ahead of the Blues this summer.
Thomas Tuchel is keen to strengthen his defence ahead of next season after the departures of both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers. After new owner Todd Boehly's purchase has been completed, the club are working on improving the squad ahead of the new season, with Boehly personally handling transfer negotiations for a number of potential deals.
Chelsea have been linked with numerous defensive targets, including De Ligt, Jules Kounde, Kalidou Koulibaly and Nathan Ake, so far this summer. The Juve defender has reportedly made a key transfer decision that impacts the Blues' pursuit of the 22-year-old, who wants out of Turin this summer, according to reports in Italy.
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According to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, De Ligt has chosen to join German giants Bayern Munich as his next club and is pushing for a move away from Juve this summer. Talks are ongoing between the two clubs, with an expected transfer fee in the region of €60-80m being discussed.
Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann reportedly wants a new defensive leader at centre-back and has identified De Ligt as his priority choice. The Bundesliga champions have already completed deals for Sadio Mane, Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui so far this summer as they strengthen their squad to fight for the Champions League title next season.
The 22-year-old defender's preference to join Bayern is a massive blow to Chelsea, who were heavily linked with a move for the Netherlands international. This could now force the Blues into looking at alternative transfer targets at centre-back, potentially accelerating a move for Kounde after it was revealed Barcelona are yet to hold talks for the Sevilla defender.
De Ligt's national teammate Ake is another defender that is admired at Stamford Bridge, with a potential return on the cards for the Manchester City centre-back. Another alternative for Tuchel's squad is Bayern's Benjamin Pavard, but the club could face competition from Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
Chelsea remain in the race despite the latest news regarding De Ligt's future due to the high numbers involved with completing a deal for the highly-rated centre-back. The Blues reportedly assume Bayern don't have the financial ability to complete the deal and that a move to Stamford Bridge can still be agreed with the 22-year-old.
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