The January transfer window may have only closed a couple of weeks ago, but Arsenal and Chelsea remain determined to further bolster their squads
Arsenal and Chelsea have been dealt a major blow to their hopes of signing Matthijs de Ligt this summer following Bayern Munich’s latest update. The 24-year-old defender currently faces an uncertain future at the Allianz Arena after falling out of favour under Thomas Tuchel.
De Ligt, who sees his contract with the Bundesliga champions expire in 2027, has featured 13 times in the Bundesliga this season, helping the Bavarians keep five clean sheets. The Netherlands international struggled to force himself into Tuchel’s plans earlier in the campaign before picking up a knock and suffering a knee injury.
Since returning from the treatment room, he’s started five of Bayern’s next six games in the German top flight. So, the former Chelsea boss raised a few eyebrows, to say the least, when he decided to drop De Ligt against title rivals Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend.
Xabi Alonso’s side, which currently sits at the top of the Bundesliga, extended their unbeaten run with a 3-0 demolition of Bayern. Before it transpired that the Dutchman had picked up another knock, his omission reignited doubt over his future.
“He is having a difficult time because of the competition,” said Tuchel. “He had a difficult decision over the weekend. He had a little back pain problem; he got treatment in the hotel before the match, and then I decided not to take the risk of letting him start.
“Even in the best case, he wouldn’t have finished the game, and [Dayot] Upamecano couldn’t play for 90 minutes, so I needed four centre-defenders so I could not risk a back problem during the game for Matthijs.
“I was 95% sure he could make it, but I didn’t want to gamble on this 5%. He’s a natural fighter, a guy who made space at Ajax and Juventus. We’ll need him; there is tough competition at the moment, and hopefully it stays like this because this is what we need.”
Arsenal and Manchester United have been briefly linked with De Ligt for a while now, while Chelsea were once mooted as a potential destination for the centre-back during Tuchel’s reign in west London. On Tuesday afternoon, Bayern’s sporting director issued an update on players’ futures.
“Of course it was a disappointment for him, but we are happy to have him with us,” said Christoph Freund when quizzed about the £42.7 million-rated defender, as quoted by Georg Holzner. “We have a lot of competition. Matthijs knows that; he’s handling it professionally and is a top professional.”
Disclaimer: This article is written by mungbobo and his views don't reflect those of PredictGov. We don't guarantee the accuracy Use your own judgment before relying on it. All images are copyrighted to their respective owners. For concerns, use our Comment Box or Contact Us form. We're not liable for any losses or damages due to this content.