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Football London
Football London
Sport
Anita Abayomi

Matthijs de Ligt 'inspired' by Antonio Rudiger saga as Chelsea seek Christensen replacement

Chelsea looked like there were on the verge of signing Juventus defender, Matthijs de Ligt. The Blues and the Italians have not seen eye to eye on the valuation of the Dutch international however a deal is said to be close between £60-£75 million.

Signing the 22-year-old centre-back is viewed as a necessity for many Chelsea fans. The loss of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger is detrimental to Chelsea’s progress. Thomas Tuchel is on the hunt for their replacements and De Ligt is high up on his list of options. On the other hand, Chelsea is also at the top of de Ligt’s wish list.

The centre-back handed in a transfer request amid Chelsea’s interest. According to Tuttosport, De Ligt is inspired by Tuchel’s development of Antonio Rudiger. He would like to work with the German manager to show his full potential.

READ MORE: Jack Grealish £100m verdict shows why Matthijs de Ligt Chelsea transfer sparks instant test

Since Thomas Tuchel’s arrival in 2021, the Blues have become a defensive force. Thomas Tuchel prior to Tuchel’s arrival spent a lot of time on Frank Lampard’s bench. Whilst it was always clear that he had the potential to become the centre-back that he is today, it was unexpected to see such a quick turnaround.

The month of February 2021 became a month of 'remontada' for Rudiger under Tuchel. The Chelsea boss helped the German international restore respect from the world and developed him into a beast of a defender. It was always great to watch Rudiger put on a defensive masterclass week in and week out, coupled with his unpredictable drives into the final third to unleash a super galactic shot.

Matthijs de Ligt from the age of 18 had been tipped to excel into a world-class centre-back. With heaps of experience under his belt, he can still reach that potential. There’s no doubt that he can get there with Trevoh Chalobah guiding him. Another player worth noting is Andreas Christensen. His development under the Chelsea boss is one to note as he came out of his comfort zone, making important interceptions and increasing his passing range.

Though it must be noted that some work probably needs to be focused on Chelsea’s attack considering their highest goal scorer only managed 15 goals in all comps. Tuchel has a knack for working with defences as proven through the development of Christensen and Rudiger. And also Trevoh Chalobah. A fairly new Cobham graduate who shone through his debut season.

It’ll be exciting to watch how Tuchel and De Ligt can partner up to create another world-class defender.

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