Man City and Barcelona could reportedly miss out on defensive starlet Matthijs de Ligt as it’s been claimed the Ajax youngster could choose to join Juventus.
The 19-year-old has wasted no time in making a real impression, as he already has 74 appearances to his name for the senior Ajax side while earning 11 caps for the Netherlands.
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With that in mind, it’s clear that he has a bright future ahead of him, and so it will come as no surprise that reports claim interest from around Europe in acquiring his services is growing.
As reported The Sun though, both Man City and Barcelona could be set to miss out on De Ligt as Juventus are said to be gaining the upper hand in the race to land his signature.
It’s added that it could take well in excess of €50m to prise him away from Ajax who will surely want to keep hold of their talented youngster for many years before cashing in, but it seems as though Juve could be the likely destination with a meeting scheduled with agent Mino Raiola.
Given that they’ve made a positive start in their pursuit of an eighth consecutive Serie A title this season and have the second best defensive record in the league, it doesn’t appear as though Juve need to be in any real rush to bolster their defensive options.
Nevertheless, Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci are all over 30 and will need to be replaced eventually, albeit the likes of Daniele Rugani and Medhi Benatia are also available to coach Massimiliano Allegri.
However, De Ligt could be seen as a long-term solution, and that could be problematic for both City and Barcelona who may well have to look elsewhere to address their own defensive issues.
