“There are no contacts between him and Chelsea" - Fabrizio Romano discusses Chelsea's rumored interest in superstar defender

Chelsea are reportedly not in talks with Juventus to sign Matthijs de Ligt. The Blues were linked with a move for the Dutch defender, but they have been squashed.

As per Fabrizio Romano on the Here We Go Podcast, there has been no contact between Chelsea and De Ligt. The journalist further added that there is no chance for the defender to leave in January, but there could be an opportunity in the summer.

However, Romano has claimed he is unsure if Chelsea will be making a move for the former Ajax man.

"At the moment from Juve's side, they've received nothing from Chelsea for Matthijs de Ligt," he said. "I can add Matthijs de Ligt is not leaving Juve in January so maybe it'll be something for the summer. There are no contacts between Matthijs de Ligt and Chelsea about the summer. I expect Chelsea to do something in defence but I'm not sure it'll be Matthijs de Ligt."

Thomas Tuchel is keen on signing a new defender and was looking to bring in Jules Kounde. With the move for the Sevilla star not materializing, the Frenchman stayed with the LaLiga side.

De Ligt urged to snub Chelsea and stay at Juventus

While reports have been linking De Ligt with a move away from Juventus, the Italian club's captain Giorgio Chiellini has urged him to stay. The 37-year-old, who sees the Dutchman as his ideal long-term replacement, was recently quoted as saying by Football Italia:

"He looks like Thor and I hope he can be the successor to the BBC defence. If he had been Italian, it would've been easier to keep hold of him for many years. I hope Mino (Raiola) can do us a favour and leave him in Turin for a few more years.

"He has gigantic muscles and legs, but the real difference is made in his mentality," he added. "De Ligt is 22 years old, but has the mind of a 30-year-old who still wants to improve himself every day. I adore him, having seen De Ligt both as an opponent and then a teammate. He's really great."

Matthijs de Ligt joined Juventus from Ajax in a €75m deal in 2019 and has since scored six goals and had two assists in 91 appearances for the club.

Reports suggest Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea are keeping tabs on De Ligt, with Barcelona also interested.