Juventus admit it will be IMPOSSIBLE to keep de Ligt if he wants to go
Juventus admit it will be IMPOSSIBLE to keep Matthijs de Ligt if he wants to leave for Chelsea – but CEO demands his club are ‘satisfied’ in negotiations over a potential swap deal
- Chelsea have been handed a boost in their pursuit of top target Matthijs de Ligt
- Juventus CEO Maurizio Arrivabene admits it could be impossible to keep de Ligt
- Arrivabene has, however, revealed they must be satisfied with a potential deal
- The Blues will not pay de Ligt’s release clause, opting instead for a swap deal
Juventus CEO Maurizio Arrivabene has revealed it could be impossible for them to keep star defender Matthijs de Ligt if he wants to leave for Chelsea this summer.
The Blues have been chasing the former Ajax captain and have been in talks about a potential swap deal involving Christian Pulisic or Timo Werner plus cash.
Chelsea have had initial offers rejected, but boss Thomas Tuchel has not given up hope of signing the Holland International as he looks to bolster his defence after losing both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers.
Chelsea have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt
Juve chief Maurizio Arrivabene says they are happy to do business if the asking price is met
Juventus chief Arrivabene has, however, appeared to have bolstered the Blues hopes of landing De Ligt this summer – saying they will be happy to do business as long as their asking price is met.
He told Tuttosport: ‘It’s impossible to keep players when they want to leave the club – but all the three parties in the negotiations have to be satisfied.’
Chelsea believe de Ligt’s release clause of £102million is too expensive, therefore they kickstarted the bidding with a player-plus-cash package worth around £40million, plus a choice of either Werner or Pulisic.
Chelsea are said to have started talks with a player-plus-cash deal including Timo Werner
Christian Pulisic was also part of the bid from Chelsea, if they would prefer him over Werner
The Italian newspaper have previously reported that this package has been rebuffed by the Old Lady, with neither player enough to tempt them into a sale.
The same outlet also added that the west London side were conscious of the fact that Juventus and manager Massimiliano Allegri are on the hunt for new forwards.
Allegri is not believed to be ‘crazy’ on them, though, with Chelsea’s attempt falling short, but talks are said to be ongoing.
Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri is not believed to be ‘crazy’ on either Pulisic or Werner
De Ligt and Manchester City’s Nathan Ake remain the priorities on Tuchel’s summer shopping list, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Although, the Blues have also been linked with numerous names, including Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar and Sevilla’s Jules Kounde in defence as they look to rebuild their squad this summer.
The Blues also remain in the hunt for the likes of Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling and are said to be edging closer to sealing a deal for Leeds United winger Raphinha to freshen up their attack.
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