Chelsea will be offered the chance to sign Juventus defender Merih Demiral in a swap deal for midfielder Jorginho, Calciomercatoweb report.
The Blues are expected to bolster their central defensive department this summer with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen having already left on free transfers.
Chelsea have been heavily linked with Sevilla’s Jules Kounde in recent weeks, but a deal could be doubtful after the Frenchman underwent a surgery for a pelvic injury.
This could force them to look at alternative options, and Calciomercatoweb claim that Demiral could make the switch to Stamford Bridge during the current transfer window.
As per the report, the Turkey international is valued at £26 million by the Bianconeri, but they are willing to swap him for Jorginho, who has been a long-term target for them.
It is added that Chelsea could also accept the transfer proposal as Jorginho is no longer indispensable under manager Thomas Tuchel. His deal expires next summer.
Our view:
Demiral spent the 2021/22 season on loan with Atalanta in Serie A. He made a bright start with the Bergamo outfit, but lost his place towards the end of the season.
His statistics were good with 1.1 tackles, 2.1 interceptions and 2.3 clearances per game. He also won 3 aerial duels per appearance for Atalanta.
Despite the positives, Demiral has the tendency to make reckless challenges. His positioning has also come under the spotlight for club and country.
Hence, he is far from the perfect centre-back, and it could be the reason behind Atalanta rejecting the option to sign him permanently for £17 million.
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea are interested in him. The Blues need reinforcements in central defence, but need to make the right choices.
Demiral has impressed with his aerial prowess and ability to clear his lines, and he is quite familiar playing in a back three with Atalanta and Juventus.
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Meanwhile, Jorginho’s agent has previously talked up a return to Serie A, and the midfielder may not act as a stumbling block towards the transfer.
