Concern for Barcelona as Juventus step up interest in 19-year-old starlet

Posted by

Juventus are reportedly looking to step up their pursuit of Ajax youngster Matthijs de Ligt, which could be of some concern for Barcelona.

The 19-year-old has wasted little time in making a positive impression for the Dutch giants, making 92 appearances for the senior side already while earning 13 caps with the Netherlands.

SEE MORE: Man Utd tipped to be involved in transfer scrap with Euro heavyweights for €110m star

That in turn would suggest that he has a bright future ahead of him for club and country, but it remains to be seen how long he remains in his homeland.

According to Calciomercato, Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici was in Amsterdam this week in an apparent show of interest to De Ligt to make him aware that the Italian giants are very keen on signing him.

However, it’s added that Barcelona have also been linked with the promising starlet, and so the reigning La Liga champions may be wise to monitor the situation closely to avoid missing out on landing a potential long-term fixture in their backline.

A move from the Bianconeri would make sense in that they arguably need to identify and sign a long-term solution in defence, with the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci on the wrong side of 30.

De Ligt would fit the bill given he has his entire career still ahead of him, while he has already gained plenty of experience and has performed at a high level both in the Eredivisie and in the Champions League.

With that in mind, it remains to be seen if the apparent ground work that Paratici is seemingly putting in pays off, as it would appear as though Juventus are making no secret of their interest in De Ligt and are keen to steal a march on their rivals for his signature.

More Stories Matthijs de Ligt