Juventus holding out for Matthijs de Ligt release clause amid Chelsea interest

Juventus are holding out for the full 120m euro release clause should they sell Matthijs De Ligt this summer amid interest from Chelsea.

The Dutch defender has just two years left on his contract in Turin, but the Italian side are determined not to let him leave on the cheap this summer as they look to recoup a major fee in order to further strengthen their own side.

So far, they have only managed to add Angel di Maria and Paul Pogba on free transfers.

Chelsea are determined to test that resolve this summer, however. They are in the market for defensive reinforcements following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen to Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, and have identified a deal for de Ligt as possible.

Not just new bid for Sterling. Chelsea will be in contact again with Juventus this week for Matthijs de Ligt, but price tag remains high. Nathan Aké, always high on Tuchel’s list. 🔵 #CFC

Sevilla would accept €65m for Koundé now – but it will also depend on Barcelona interest.

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 28, 2022

But, they are exploring options other than paying the hefty release clause. According to Italian media, Tuchel and co. value the defender at 100m euros, but are also looking at ways to bring that fee down, including potentially including a player in the deal.

Both Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic, thought to be free to leave this summer, have been offered, but as of yet to no avail.

Chelsea closing in on Sterling deal

Meanwhile, there is optimism that a deal for Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling to move from the Etihad to Stamford Bridge could be completed as early as this week.

Chelsea are also looking at his fellow teammates Nathan Ake and Oleksandr Zinchenko, while Ousmane Dembele remains an option depending on the outcome of his transfer standoff with Barcelona.