Who is Merih Demiral? The £16m Antonio Rudiger heir Chelsea can sign with transfer trick

Thomas Tuchel has made it clear that he intends on undergoing a rebuild at Chelsea this summer following the departures of several players. Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen have already left Stamford Bridge, with Marcos Alonso, Romelu Lukaku and Christian Pulisic all facing uncertain futures.

N’Golo Kante and Jorginho are both set to leave the west London club next year once their contracts expire, though the latter could leave sooner rather than later. The 30-year-old, who has been heavily linked with a move to Juventus lately, looks set to help Tuchel find a replacement for Rudiger, with the Italian subject to growing interest from overseas.

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Old Lady are putting together a proposal for Chelsea, which could see Merih Demiral used as a makeweight in a swap deal for Jorginho. The 24-year-old is reportedly set to return to Juventus this summer following an uninspired season-long loan at Atalanta.

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Demiral featured 28 times for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side in the Serie A, leaving the La Dea unimpressed with his displays. The report adds that a £15.5million option-to-buy was included in his loan deal with Atalanta, but the Italian side have reportedly opted against activating said clause.

Calciomercato add that Demiral is not in Massimiliano Allegri’s plans upon his return and that the club intend to sell the centre-back this summer. So, with Jorginho on the Old Lady’s radar and the Turkey international surplus to requirements, the Italian giants are reportedly set to offer a swap deal.

Conflicting reports have also stated that Atalanta will in fact triggered the option-to-buy clause. But amid the clamour for his signature, who is Demiral? football.london take a look.

Age?

24

Nationality?

Turkish

Price?

£15.5million

Honours?

1x Serie A, 1x Coppa Italia, 1x Supercoppa Italiana

Style of play?

At 6ft 4ins, Demiral is a physically imposing centre-back who would offer Chelsea a strong aerial presence. He’s right-footed so, naturally, Tuchel will be inclined to select him on the right of, or at the heart of the Blues back-three.

Though, of course, Rudiger was too right-footed which didn’t pose an issue with his position on the left of the back three. Atalanta play 3-5-2, meaning Demiral can operate comfortably in a back-three or a four, granting Tuchel some flexibility.

The Turkey international is known for quality in possession, though the Italian side’s recent misfortunes haven’t given him the best account. In 2019/20, Demiral had the best passing accuracy (93.4%) of every Juventus centre-back.

What has been said?

Demiral flirted with Manchester United in a recent interview amid recent reports linking him with a move to Old Trafford. After locking horns with the Red Devils last October in a 3-2 loss, the defender described the occasion as a ‘dream’ and a lifelong ambition of his.

“Manchester United match was like a dream for me,” Demiral said, as quoted by the Chronicle Live. “They call it the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ so it was a dream for me too, playing in such an atmosphere. It was all a dream.

“I played in Old Trafford that I dreamed of as a kid, it was an unforgettable moment – Vidic was my childhood idol – I’ve wanted to meet him since I was a kid, I was a huge fan of his and he is a special one to me. I made an important tackle, it was a pleasure to show my talents at Old Trafford & to play in front of an incredible atmosphere.”