Chelsea target Matthijs de Ligt has handed in a 'transfer request' to Juventus after the latest rounds of contract talks have broken down between the two parties with Chelsea now ready to pursue their interest in the Dutchman as they receive the green light on his behalf.
The defensive situation this summer at Chelsea is one that will require a lot of effort and money to fix. The likes of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen have already jumped ship with Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta potentially following suit. Therefore, this has caused Todd Boehly and manager Thomas Tuchel to set aside significant funds from the £200million transfer budget to fix the gaps left by the various departures that have already happened and that are forecasted.
In central defence, Jules Kounde is expected to be signed despite late efforts from Barcelona to hijack the deal. It is believed that the Les Bleus international has his heart set on a move to the Premier League meaning a fee is the only stumbling block currently. Out on the full-back front, Lens full-back Jonathan Clauss is the first choice option to be brought in for a mere £10m if Azpilicueta's Barca move was to go through.
