Chelsea leading the race for Juventus defender

The latest report has disclosed that Chelsea are leading the race for Juventus centre back defender and Dutch star Matthijs de Ligt.

It is no longer news that Chelsea could lose some of their key defenders in the coming transfer window, with the likes of Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, and Marcos Alonso linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge.

This has made Chelsea interested in the 22-year-old defender whose future remains in doubt at Turin.

Aside from Chelsea, the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in bringing  Matthijs de Ligt to the Premier League.

According to Tuttosport, Chelsea are at the head of the queue for the defender.

The report, though, claimed that any deal for the Dutch defender would depend on whether his agent Mino Raiola agrees to a reduction in his release clause with Juventus, which currently stands at €120m (£101m).

De Ligt was strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford in 2019 before joining Juventus from Ajax.

So far this season, the Old Ladies defender has scored one goal in 12 appearances.

He has played in all four of his Juventus Champions League matches this season but has played in three of their last five games in the Italian Serie A.