Thomas Tuchel has reportedly identified Matthijs de Ligt as his 'first choice' target ahead of the upcoming transfer window, with the Chelsea boss eager to devise a summer rebuild. The 22-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in January, though a move failed to materialise.
The Blues were 'willing to go crazy' in their efforts to lure the £54m-rated defender from Juventus, according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica. But, unbeknown to Tuchel at the time, Antonio Ruidger and Andreas Christensen sought futures away from west London and the duo are now set to leave the club in the coming weeks once their contracts expire.
Chelsea then followed up their interest a month later with the hope of laying the groundwork for a transfer in the summer, but Tuchel's mission to bolster his defence was quickly stopped in its tracks following the UK Government's decision to sanction Roman Abramovich.
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The licence issued to Chelsea by the government allowed the club to keep playing. It also meant that the Blues could not sign or sell players, or enter in to contract talks with existing players on their books, which meant the west Londoner's pursuit of the defender came to a halt.
Calciomercato reported that the Blues were well positioned to secure De Ligt's services. Now, with a takeover seemingly imminent following approval from the Premier League and the government, Chelsea have reignited interest in the Netherlands international, the Italian outlet have added.
The report claims that the west Londoners are serious in their hopes of signing the centre-half and that developments are expected shortly. De ligt, who sees his contract with Juventus expire in 2024, has featured 31 times for the Old Lady in Serie A this season, helping Massimiliano Allegri's side retain the third best defensive record in the league.
But, should the Blues look to seal a deal for De Ligt, the club must first wait for the takeover to be completed. Nonetheless, Todd Boehly and Tuchel are keen to get the ball rolling and begin a summer rebuild.
The LA Dodgers co-owner's consortium, who have agreed a £4.25billion deal to buy the west London club, are expected to 'push for A-list signings' to mark a new era at Stamford Bridge, according to the MailOnline. And, with the new ownership group eager to bolster the Blues armoury, The Telegraph indicate that, after player sales are taken into account, Tuchel is set to have £200million at his disposal to strengthen his side.
The Chelsea boss outlined his intentions at the club in the coming weeks. "We are rebuilding, not improving the squad. We are rebuilding. This is always challenging, but we are up for the challenge," he said.
"I don't know where we are from day one. What I can promise is that I will be here – if I can promise that – I will be here with full energy and positive energy no matter what. We will still work for Chelsea, and I refuse to think of negative scenarios. We will be competitive, on which level we will see.
"On how the delay and sanctions will affect us, there is a risk. It will be very challenging to make up for the disadvantage, given the situation of the other two teams: City and Liverpool, who are already improving the squad and set one benchmark after the other in all aspects of the game."
