Rudiger staying seems farfetched, Sevilla won’t let Kounde go, Marquinos wants to pursuit Champions League glory with PSG. Well, the Blues will have to manage.Therefore, new target emerges – Juventus defender Matthijs De Ligt. And if Juve continue with their less than mediocre performances – the Dutch footballer might decide to move to London.Thomas Tuchel looks to bolster his defence and after having a 58 million USD summer bid for Jules Kounde rejected, Stamford Bridge club could switch their focus to the 22-year-old De Ligt.There remains a desire to strengthen at the back even though Tuchel’s team have impressed during the early weeks of the season.Sat, 25/9, 14.30: (2.80) CHELSEA (3.05) MAN CITY (2.90)Tuchel will be concerned that Chelsea could be left short of defensive options if contract talks with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen don’t work out.Sevilla rejected the European champions’ offer and held firm on the Frenchman’s 93 million USD release clause.Thus, Chelsea will turn to Holland international De Ligt, whose release clause set at 140 million USD becomes active at the end of this season, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato.Having invested 93 million USD plus add-ons when they signed him from Ajax in 2019, Juventus would like De Ligt to commit to a new contract.League Cup excitement brought to you by Premier League well-known namesChelsea’s interest in De Ligt found more ground to stand on after it became obvious Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos would not accept any potential offers from the English power-house.Kurt Zouma swapped Stamford Bridge for London Stadium leaving Chelsea with Thiago Silva, Rudiger, Christensen, Trevoh Chalobah, Malang Sarr and Xavier Mbuyamba as classic centre-back options. It has been reported that Rudiger is looking for closer to 270,000 USD a week and talks have slowed in recent weeks, with Real Madrid and PSG among the interested parties should the German be available on a free transfer after the season ends.Danish centre-back Christensen, meanwhile, is closing in on a new 160,000-USD-a-week deal at Stamford Bridge.Surprise, surprise! Juventus climb out of the Serie A relegation zone after Spezia gives them hellChelsea are top the Premier League table after five games. What gives them confidence is that they have conceded only one goal in the competition this season and it was a Mohamed Salah’s penalty in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool.
