Chelsea have reportedly been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Matthijs de Ligt, who is eager to join Bayern Munich and halting talks with the Blues.
According to Christian Falk, Matthijs de Ligt is waiting on the outcome of talks between Juventus and Bayern Munich. The latest update on the defender’s future will leave Chelsea nervous as they have been chasing the Dutchman for a considerable period in this window, only for the player to halt talks with the Blues.
Chelsea’s hopes of signing Matthijs de Ligt to shore up their defence have hit a roadblock. The Dutch defender became their primary target after the Blues initially cooled their interest in Jules Kounde.
For the best part of the chase, Chelsea have been confident of signing De Ligt, despite briefly baulking at the high asking price set by Juventus. New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has been heading discussions over multiple transfers and may have been hopeful about securing a deal for the Dutchman.
From Chelsea’s perspective, Bayern Munich entered the race at the wrong time, although the Blues seemed to be well ahead in the chase. The west Londoners have had a pressing need to find suitable central defenders after the departures of Andreas Christensen and, more importantly, Antonio Rudiger.
TRUE✅ the management of Matthijs de Ligt (22) stopped for now the talks with @ChelseaFC They want to wait to see if @FCBayern and @juventusfc can come to an agreement @BILD_Sport
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) July 7, 2022
However, in recent days, Bayern Munich have stolen the march on Chelsea by reportedly reaching a verbal agreement with de Ligt. Moreover, the 22-year-old Juventus defender is sold on the idea of joining the Bavarians as he sees them as his next destination to improve his career.
As per Christian Falk, the defender is awaiting the outcome of the discussions between the Serie A giants and Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, de Ligt’s entourage have suspended talks with Chelsea, as they remain keen on joining the Bundesliga champions.
This will be a big blow for Chelsea in their efforts to sign de Ligt. The Blues are on the verge of signing Raheem Sterling from Manchester City, but their priority in this summer transfer window has been strengthening their central defensive unit.
The race might still be on for Chelsea if Bayern and Juventus cannot agree on de Ligt. The Blues are likely to play the waiting game, considering the defender’s intentions are clear. But reaching an agreement with the Serie A giants over a transfer fee might hand Chelsea some respite.
