It has been reported that Chelsea are closer to completing a deal for Manchester City’s Nathan Ake than Matthijs de Ligt.
According to the Evening Standard, the Blues’ pursuit of the Juventus man is in serious jeopardy of being hijacked by Bayern Munich.
The Dutch pair have been two of the many targets Chelsea have identified for the centre-back role next season, with the club in desperate need of additions.
Departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen have left the Blues short on numbers at the back, with Cesar Azpilicueta also linked with a move away.
De Ligt has been identified as the marquee option at the back, with him seemingly being Tuchel’s number one option for a signing.
However, Bayern’s interest has thrown the saga into the air, making the deal difficult to pull off before the club leave for their pre-season tour of America next week.
Chelsea more advanced for Ake
This goes against new owner Todd Boehly’s reported ambition, which the Evening Standard claims is to secure their first defensive signing before the end of the week.
The report goes on to say this may be why negotiations are ‘more advanced’ for Ake, with the Manchester City man strongly rumoured to return the Stamford Bridge.
The Netherlands international has improved his game drastically under Pep Guardiola, winning three Premier League titles to add to his one he secured in West London.
His ability to feature on the left side of defence makes him a perfect option for the Blues, who have Rudiger’s void in that position to fill as a matter of urgency.
If the signing is to go through this week then Chelsea will certainly have to act fast in securing the transfer from now.
But it seems like the club are doing all they can to give Tuchel the longest time possible to work with what could be a very new look defence ahead of next season.