Chelsea’s ownership saga is now a thing of the past. Todd Boehly has officially been the owner of the club for over a week now and not much has changed on the surface. That’s a disappointment in some ways to many supporters, but it’s not all negative. It seems as if the days of the Blues splashing on big transfers every summer have not left with former custodian Roman Abramovich. The Russian oligarch built a reputation for spending hundreds of millions on players whenever necessary. This is a legacy that Boehly looks determined to carry on as he transitions into the role of Chelsea’s newest caretaker following government sanctions.
The American owner has given manager Thomas Tuchel a reported £200 million transfer budget for this summer alone. This figure is subject to change based on player sales, as well. Two things that’ve been clear from the beginning are that Boehly has all of the confidence in the world in Tuchel, and he wants to make a statement signing or two in his first summer as owner. The Daily Telegraph’s Matt Law reported on Wednesday that Boehly has essentially put Tuchel in charge of the club’s summer transfer business. The Blues have also given the German manager the green light to pursue a defensive superstar in the upcoming window.
Chelsea gives Thomas Tuchel the green light to pursue Matthijs de Ligt
Chelsea’s keeping tabs on the contract situation of Juventus centerback Matthijs de Ligt. The Dutch defender currently has a release clause of just over £100 million, but Fabrizio Romano stated recently that he would not sign another contract with the Italian giants unless that release clause is lowered in a new deal. De Ligt is currently under contract until the summer of 2024 with the Old Lady eager to lock him up for an additional year or two as soon as possible.
Boehly has now green-lighted a pursuit of the 22-year-old and promised to give Tuchel the funds to pull off the transfer if he deems that de Ligt is an upgrade to other targets. The centerhalf is coming off a tremendous season in which he really grew into his own for the first time in Serie A. His struggles come as no surprise seeing as the former £70+ million Ajax man has played for three different managers in three contrasting systems over the last three seasons with Juventus. De Ligt is still regarded as one of the best young defensive players in world football, despite his recent struggles. Massimiliano Allegri—admittedly the best of the three managers—has really elevated de Ligt’s defensive game to new heights since his reappointment as the head man in Turin.
Tuchel has put together an extensive shortlist said to contain as many as eight centerbacks that the Blues could evaluate in the upcoming transfer window. Atop this list is Sevilla centerhalf Jules Kounde, who is expected to be the first signing through the door in a matter of weeks. Chelsea is expected to sign as many as three centerbacks this summer after losing two already on contract expiry. Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger will play in Spain next season—for Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively—after leaving SW6 on free transfers. Furthermore, the Blues could also lose club captain Cesar Azpilicueta in the coming weeks, which would really put them between a rock and a hard place ahead of next season.
If Boehly wants to make a splash, there aren’t many bigger statements of intent in today’s market than de Ligt. He would represent a phenomenal Rudiger replacement at the heart of whichever system that Tuchel decides to play next season. It won’t be an easy, or cheap, transfer to pull off, but money talks. If the Blues aren’t able to lure de Ligt to the English capital this summer, they will turn to their shortlisted alternatives. Other names on the aforementioned list reportedly include Atletico Madrid’s Jose Gimenez, RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol and Villarreal’s Pau Torres.
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