Chelsea want to confirm the signing of one of their top defensive targets this week — but it will not all be plain sailing.

Both Matthijs de Ligt and Nathan Ake are high on the Blues' priority list and they want one of them through the door as soon as possible, say the Evening Standard.

But Bayern Munich are keen to hijack any move for Dutch centre-back De Ligt, 22, as Juventus prepare for a potential bidding war.

The Italian giants have reportedly softened their stance on holding out for a club to meet the Dutchman’s £105million release clause.

It is thought that £75m would be enough now and Bayern are wary that their Premier League rivals have more money to spend, so do not want to get into a bidding war.

They instead are attempting to convince De Ligt that a move to the German champions would be more beneficial for his career, and see him win more trophies.

De Ligt rejected Bayern back in 2019 when he swapped Ajax for Juve in a £67.8m move.

The deal for Ake is more straightforward, with City said to want to recoup the £41m they paid Bournemouth for the 27-year-old two years ago.

But they will not give any exit a green light until they have secured a replacement in Pep Guardiola’s squad.

In other news

Sky Sports say Paul Pogba’s return to Juventus on a four-year deal will be confirmed soon, after he left Manchester United on a free transfer.

Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres remains a Tottenham target despite Spurs closing in on a loan deal for Barcelona’s Clement Lenglet, according to The Mirror.

The Mail report that Ajax are ready to sign Tottenham winger Steven Bergwijn for £28m.