Chelsea continue their Champions League defence on Tuesday night when Juventus travel to Stamford Bridge in a match that could decide the group's winners.
As things stand, Massimiliano Allegri's side sit three points clear so the onus will be on Thomas Tuchel's men to beat the Italian giants, but one of their reported transfer targets will be trying to stop them.
Matthijs de Ligt was said to be a target of the Blues throughout the summer transfer window as Tuchel looked to bolster their back line but a deal could not be agreed.
With the futures of Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta still up in the air, that interest is likely to persist into the January transfer window.
However, Mino Railoa, the player's agent, recently hinted that any deal for the 22-year-old would have to wait until the summer.
"Staying at Juventus or leaving? We should do this interview in May… it’s November now. It’s not time to talk about it,” he told Italian broadcaster Rai.
Ahead of the game, De Ligt addressed the press and delivered a three-word verdict on Stamford Bridge being 'a great thrill', that perhaps hints that he would be open to a move in the future.
"Playing at Stamford Bridge is a great thrill," the Netherlands mainstay said, via the official Juventus website. "Tomorrow we have to be compact, Chelsea are a strong team on the counterattack.
"[Romelu] Lukaku is a great player, who makes the difference; but Chelsea, even without him, remains one of the strongest teams in Europe. The first leg match was good, for me and for the group - we played with maturity and passion."
The summer transfer window saw Chelsea bring in just three new faces in the form of Lukaku, Saul Niguez and Marcus Bettinelli and it remains to be seen how much Tuchel will look to add to his side in January.
