Chelsea FC have not given up in their pursuit of Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt, according to Italian reporter Fabrizio Romano.
The Netherlands international has been touted as a target for the south west London club this summer as Thomas Tuchel looks to re-strengthen his defence following the departures of key players Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers.
According to Romano, Chelsea FC boss Tuchel has made it clear that De Ligt is one of his top targets for strengthening his back-line this summer and the south west London club are now negotiating with Juventus as they attempt to strike a deal.
The Italian reporter says that the Blues are preparing an official offer for the Netherlands defender as they look to add the former Ajax man to their squad ahead of the new campaign.
Romano also added that the player himself is “really tempted” by the prospect of a move away from Juventus in this transfer window but Chelsea FC could face competition from Bayern Munich for his signature.
Delivering an update on Chelsea FC’s links to De Ligt, Romano said on his Here We Go podcast: “Chelsea are still there for De Ligt. They haven’t given up.
“Thomas Tuchel wants him and Todd Boehly is negotiating. We’ll see when the new proposal will arrive from Chelsea but they’re preparing a bid.
“Bayern are also in the race. They know De Ligt is really tempted by the prospect of leaving Juventus this summer.”
De Ligt has been a regular fixture in the Juventus team since having joined the Serie A club from Ajax three years ago. He has scored eight goals in 117 games in all competitions for Juve and helped them to win the title in the 2019-20 campaign.
Last season, the Netherlands international netted three goals and made one assist in 31 Serie A games as Juve ended up in fourth place in the Italian league table.