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Chelsea are ready to ‘raise the stakes’ for Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt amid Bayern Munich’s fellow transfer interest, according to reports.
Links between the Dutchman and the west London side have been strong in recent weeks, but Bayern have also emerged as a contender to be the 22-year-old’s next suitor.
He has established himself as one of Europe’s top centre-backs in recent years, especially considering just how young he is.
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De Ligt was highly impressive during his time at Ajax before he sealed his move to Juventus in 2019, where he has won three honours in three seasons.
The Blues are looking to reinforce their defensive options for the new campaign, with de Ligt being one of their top targets for the summer.
As a result, Romeo Agresti is reporting that Thomas Tuchel’s side are set to ‘raise the stakes’ in their pursuit of the defender within the coming hours.
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It was revealed last week that Chelsea were preparing their first bid for de Ligt, said to be in the region of €70 million plus bonuses.
It is now believed that Bayern are ‘not prepared’ to match offers that are submitted for the Dutch international, and they will now switch their attention to convincing him to join them at the Allianz Arena.
Reports from Germany suggest that the player wants to make the move to the German giants, but this has been contrasted by Italian reports who say that Chelsea are still ahead of them in the race.
The Blues will offer him a five-year-deal at Stamford Bridge that has the option of a further year, which is said to be worth around €12-13 million net with bonuses.
Although the current World Champions face a strong opponent in their pursuit for de Ligt, they could have the upper hand if they are the only club to meet the price demands set by Juventus.
Tuchel’s side are hopeful that they will be able to seal the signings of Raheem Sterling and a new central defender before they set off for their pre-season tour in the USA on Saturday.
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Sterling is said to be close to making the switch from Manchester City to London in the coming weeks, having won four Premier League titles in seven seasons at the Etihad Stadium.
Chelsea are also still thought to be in the race for Leeds United winger Raphinha, despite the Brazilian preferring a move to Barcelona this summer.
Topics: Matthijs De Ligt, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Football, Transfers
Robert Calcutt