Chelsea are set to make a move and sign a £50 million Bayern Munich star who was previously linked with Mauricio Pochetinno.

 Chelsea are set to make a move and sign a £50 million Bayern Munich star who was previously linked with Mauricio Pochetinno.

Chelsea are “seriously considering” a move for Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

After Thiago Silva left at the end of the previous season, Chelsea is looking to bolster their defense, while Benoit Badiasheli’s future is still up in the air.

The Blues’s top target, Jarrad Branthwaite, was turned down for an initial bid of £35 million, far less than Everton’s asking price of £70 million.

Chelsea has not responded to their initial offer for Branthwaite and is obviously considering their other possibilities.

According to Ornstein, the West London team is “seriously considering” making a move for the center back from the Netherlands, who is thought to be a strong contender to bolster the Blues defense.

The report adds that no contact has taken place between the two clubs, but the 24-year-old has emerged as a serious target.

The Dutchman is under contract at Bayern until 2027, but according to Ornstein, the potential cost of a deal is likely to be more realistic than Branthwaite.

Chelsea had been linked with Jean-Clair Todibo but couldn’t sign the Nice star due to the club’s financial constraints, while Lille’s Leny Yoro prefers a move to Real Madrid.

The pursuit of De Ligt is believed to be independent of that of Branthwaite, but United will reportedly have to sell players to raise funds and free up space in the squad.

Some reports had suggested their initial budget could be as low as £50 million, but Chelsea will look to raise that by selling the likes of Conor Gallagher and Ian Maasten.

One thing is for certain: it’s sure to be a busy summer in West London as Todd Boehly and Sporting Directors will look forward to signing more players to start up a new campaign with Enzo Maresca.