In a recent report, Sky Italia stated that Chelsea are showing serious interest in Juventus centre-back Matthijs De Ligt this summer. It has been mentioned that the Blues have made contact with Juve to land the Dutch defensive ace in this off-season.
De Ligt’s Impressive Run Of Form In Italy
De Ligt had a solid campaign at the Allianz Stadium recently after he put in several dominant displays at the heart of Massimiliano Allegri’s defence. The 37-time Netherlands international scored three goals and earned one assist in 42 matches for the Turin giants last season across all fronts.
The former Ajax centre-half performed well to average 1.1 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 3.1 clearances per game in Serie A. He was even excellent when distributing possession from the back, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 88.9% in the top tier of Italian football (stats via whoscored).
What Will De Ligt Bring To Chelsea?
De Ligt is a solid tackler of the ball and can make some timely interceptions for his side on the defensive end of the pitch. He doesn’t mind clearing the danger when needed and is a tidy passer from the back.
Standing at 1.89m, the Dutch powerhouse can use his strong frame to dominate the opposition attackers in the air and doesn’t hesitate to put his body on the line to block a goal-bound shot from the opposition. Hence, de Ligt is well-equipped to make an instant impact at Stamford Bridge if Chelsea can find a way to get him on board in this off-season.
At 22, the future is quite bright for the Dutchman. We can expect him to bring a lot of quality to Thomas Tuchel‘s defensive department. He could even help the Blues challenge for some major silverware over the next decade.
De Ligt might even serve as a perfect replacement for Antonio Rudiger, who joined Real Madrid recently, at the West London club. Thus, Tuchel should try everything in his power to bring the Dutch central defender to the English capital before the end of this summer transfer window.
