As per Gianluca di Marzio, Chelsea have presented a cash plus player offer to Juventus for centerback Matthijs de Ligt. The Blues’ first proposal consists of a 25-30 million euro fee upfront plus the prospect of forward Timo Werner moving in the opposite direction. The Dutchman is considered Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel’s top target to reinforce the central defensive positions this summer.
The Bianconeri have rejected Chelsea’s opening offer, but the Blues are likely to return with a new one in the coming days. The Londoners hope to seal the deal around 40-45 million euros – plus Werner – but, as per the report, Juve would ask for more and had initially pointed the suitors to the 150 million release clause in the player’s contract. Both de Ligt and Werner would be open to a switch if the clubs can agree to a deal.
22-year-old de Ligt joined Juventus in 2019 from AFC Ajax despite strong interest from several of Europe’s top clubs. In those three years since, he has made 117 appearances for the Turin club and won one Serie A title.
Meanwhile, de Ligt’s former Ajax teammate Hakim Ziyech could move in the opposite direction. The Moroccan has failed to make a lasting impact in his two years at Chelsea, with the club now open to selling him for a suitable offer.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Italian champions AC Milan are interested in the 29-year-old attacker and have already held talks with the Blues to shape up a potential transfer.
Milan are also in talks with the player’s representatives to find an agreement on personal terms. The Moroccan earns a larger salary than the Serie A side usually pays their players, and the two camps are in discussions to see if an agreement can be found.
Ziyech joined Chelsea in 2020 for a 40 million euro fee from Ajax, but an underwhelming return of 14 goals across two seasons has left the fanbase split in their opinion of the attacker.
