PERSONAL TERMS AGREED: “I talked to him, but he was determined to join Chelsea; this deal will concern Virgil van Dijk and a Manchester City star as negotiations progress.”

PERSONAL TERMS AGREED: “I talked to him, but he was determined to join Chelsea; this deal will concern Virgil van Dijk and a Manchester City star as negotiations progress.”

PERSONAL TERMS AGREED: “I spoke with him, but he insisted on joining Chelsea; the deal will worry Virgil van Dijk and Man City star as talks ‘advance’

Chelsea will have Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Ake concerned if they manage to secure one of their top targets this summer.

Chelsea are aiming to strengthen in several positions during this transfer window, with Todd Boehly overseeing football operations. One of the key priorities is to bolster their defense with a top-tier center-back, as well as acquiring a formidable number 9. Reports indicate that negotiations are progressing for the signing of Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt.

Sky Sports Germany reports that Enzo Maresca remains a strong admirer of the 24-year-old, who joined Bayern from Juventus for approximately £68 million two years ago. Talks are advancing, and Bayern is reportedly open to selling for the right price. Juventus had similarly paid a substantial fee to Ajax in the summer of 2019 for de Ligt.

De Ligt, currently with the Netherlands squad at Euro 2024, is highly regarded by his Premier League-based teammates. Back in 2019, when linked with Liverpool, he was recognized as a future star by Virgil van Dijk, who praised him, saying: “He’s obviously an excellent defender, that’s clear. He can still improve a lot, and he realizes that, but playing like he does at that age is fantastic, and I’m really happy to play beside him [for the Netherlands].”

Recently, Nathan Ake has also praised De Ligt. The Manchester City defender likened him to Van Dijk, telling Goal: “De Ligt is still so young, but he has played so many games in top-flight football and for the Dutch national team. It’s amazing what he is doing at the moment. Everyone has full confidence in him. As you can see, he’s a great player. He’s quick, strong for his age, very good in the air, and on the ball, he is very good. He scores so many from set pieces, so he’s got a lot of the same attributes as Van Dijk.”

If Chelsea succeed in signing De Ligt, who has yet to appear at Euro 2024, with Ronald Koeman favoring a center-back pairing of Van Dijk and Stefan de Vrij, then Van Dijk and Ake will be well aware of the quality player the Blues are acquiring. Despite limited appearances in Germany, De Ligt is still considered one of Europe’s top central defenders and made 30 appearances for Bayern Munich last season, despite several injuries.

In addition to pursuing De Ligt, Chelsea are also reportedly interested in securing deals for Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, and Jarrad Braithwaite this summer.”