Barcelona and Tottenham both want to sign a talented young centre back this summer. Unfortunately, they’ll both miss out on their top option.
Matthijs de Ligt has been one of the most in-demand central defenders in Europe this summer. The Ajax starlet seems set to deal a harsh blow to both Barcelona and Tottenham. Instead, it seems he’ll be moving to Italy next season.
Calciomercato are reporting that de Ligt has already agreed to personal terms with Juventus. The Serie A powers are yet to agree to a transfer fee with Ajax, but most believe the Old Lady can manage that task. Ajax are going to seek a large fee for de Ligt’s services, but Juventus have a sizable transfer budge to work with this summer.
Barcelona will need to look elsewhere for Gerard Pique’s successor. Samuel Umtiti will be a cornerstone of their defence for the foreseeable future, but he needs a younger, more athletic partner. The ideal scenario for Barca was to purchase de Ligt this summer and allow him to learn under Pique for a full season. Now the club may be forced to spend big on an immediate replacement for the venerable Spaniard.
For Tottenham, the news that they’re out on de Ligt might force Spurs to rethink their willingness to sell Toby Alderweireld. The talented Belgian has been strongly linked with United, but so far Jose Mourinho’s club have failed to meet Spurs’ valuation. It was widely believed that Mauricio Pochettino viewed de Ligt as the ideal replacement for Alderweireld. It’s unclear whether or not he has other targets he views as sufficient.
Juventus, of course, are the real winners in all this. They pride themselves on having one of the toughest back lines in Europe and adding de Ligt should help extend that tradition. He might not be the rough and tumble defender fans of the Old Lady have grown accustomed to, but he has a ton of skill on the ball. De Ligt is the sort of player that could usher in a new era of play in Turin.
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If Juventus can get this deal over the line, club officials deserve a ton of credit. De Ligt has been a massive target for quite a few large clubs. Of course, this deal isn’t done yet. There’s always the chance another club can swoop in and blow Ajax out of the water with a massive financial offer. Juventus need to finish this deal off immediately.