Juventus pick preferred Chelsea player for Matthijs de Ligt swap deal
Juventus have decided they want to sign Timo Werner as part of any deal with Chelsea for Matthijs de Ligt, according to reports. The Italian giants are seemingly keen on the German international forward and believe they have what it takes to revive his career after two underwhelming seasons in west London.
Werner arrived at Chelsea a superstar in the making as the Blues saw off competition from Liverpool to get a deal over the line.
Yet despite winning the Champions League in his debut season, the striker has seen his career go backwards.
He has lost all confidence in front of goal, yet Juve seemingly believe there is something to work with.
According to The Mail, they have decided they want to sign the former RB Leipzig man, should they offload De Ligt to Chelsea.
That could prove to be music to the ears of the Blues, who are looking for buyers for their £47.5million flop.
Werner’s agent met with Juventus among other Italian clubs earlier this year as be began to float his client to a number of teams around Europe.
Borussia Dortmund were also offered the chance to sign Werner but they did not oblige.
De Ligt has quickly moved to the top of Chelsea’s defensive shortlist ahead of Jules Kounde.
Negotiations are now on with Juventus and there’s optimism a deal can be reached in the coming weeks.
The player is keen to explore a new challenge after three seasons in Turin, where he has won just one Serie A title.
Before his move to Italy, De Ligt came close to joining Manchester United, while Barcelona were also in the mix.
Chelsea are said to have also considered sending Juventus Christian Pulisic as part of the deal.
The USMNT forward has struggled for consistency and could therefore be pushed towards the door.
But now it looks as though Werner could become the makeweight in a deal, as he prepares to embark on a new challenge ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.
Thomas Tuchel wants to overhaul his attack with the signings of Raphinha and Raheem Sterling.
Should he land the highly-rated duo, Werner’s chances of playing regular are minimal.
