Chelsea owner Todd Boehly ‘ready to fulfil’ Thomas Tuchel wish by signing two players

Who could replace Lukaku at Chelsea?

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is ‘ready to fulfil’ the wish of Thomas Tuchel to sign two defenders this summer, according to reports. Tuchel wants both Jules Kounde and Matthijs de Ligt and could be granted both signings in this window.

Chelsea are in need of new defenders following the exits of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen. The Blues officially announced the departure of Christensen on Friday.

Sevilla star Kounde has long been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, dating back to last summer. Meanwhile, Holland international De Ligt was a target for the Blues before he joined Juventus in 2019.

And Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport says Chelsea chiefs are willing to back Tuchel with the signings of the two centre-backs. Boehly completed his takeover of Chelsea last month and is set to provide Tuchel with a big summer budget.

Kounde and De Ligt are likely to attract large transfer fees. They have just two years remaining on their respective contracts but are both relatively near the beginning of their professional career.

Kounde, 23, already has over 200 club appearances to his name as well as 10 caps for France. Twenty-two-year-old De Ligt has also racked up over 250 matches in his fledgling career.

If De Ligt was to join Chelsea, it would take the overall transfer fees spent on him in his career to well over £100million. He was bought by Juve in 2019 for a fee of around £67.8m.

The same report says there is also interest in the player from both Liverpool and Manchester United. However, Chelsea are seen as the most likely destination in the Premier League.

DON’T MISS
Tottenham to hand Conte transfer boost with new weapon to help Paratici
Five Premier League deals that could be completed today as summer window opens
Liverpool tried lowering Darwin Nunez fee by ‘including two players in swap deal’

Liverpool’s need for a new centre-back is not great following a successful first season for Ibrahima Konate at Anfield. The Reds are also pursuing Benfica striker Darwin Nunez, so a large part of their summer budget will likely be spent at the other end of the pitch.

Meanwhile, United’s new boss Erik ten Hag is keen on signing De Ligt. He managed the player during his time at Ajax, however United failing to qualify for the Champions League could well put a stop to any chance of that move happening this summer.

Juve still want to tie De Ligt down to a new contract until 2026. However, they also want to reduce the player’s wage to a salary of around £6.8m plus bonuses.

Want the latest Premier League news as we publish it on Express Sport? Join our new Facebook group by clicking here

Source: Read Full Article