Chelsea are reportedly targeting Juventus defender Merih Demiral as a replacement for Antonio Rudiger.
Rudiger is set to leave Chelsea this summer, with his contract due to expire, and Real Madrid are leading the race for the German defender, according to Fabrizio Romano in the tweet below.
Toni Rüdiger has not signed with any club yet. Real Madrid are now the closest to find an agreement, talks ongoing for months. Real Madrid are on it since December. ?? #RealMadrid
PSG, interested. Man United and Bayern, out of the race… and Chelsea situation still not changed. pic.twitter.com/r0Ja1yMFxO
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 23, 2022
With Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen also out of contract this summer, Thomas Tuchel will be targeting a defender in time for next season.
According to journalist Yakup Cinar, via Totto Juve, Chelsea are considering a move for Demiral as a replacement for Rudiger.
Demiral is currently on loan at Atalanta from Juventus, where he regularly plays in a back three. Tuchel often deploys a similar system, so targeting a player who is comfortable in this setup could a smart move from the Chelsea manager.
The Turkish international recently turned 24, so the Juventus defender has time on his side. With Thiago Silva ageing and due to potential outgoings in defence, signing a young defender who has also gained enough first-team experience would benefit Chelsea immensely.
Demiral already has 33 caps for his country and has been a regular in the Atalanta team this season.