Barcelona have reportedly set their sights on Matthijs de Ligt once again, with Joan Laporta and Ronald Koeman both being admirers of the Dutch defender.
According to claims by Eduardo Inda when appearing on El Chiringuito TV, Matthijs de Ligt is once again the subject of interest from Barcelona ahead of the summer transfer window. The 21-year-old Juventus defender is viewed as a long-term partner for Eric Garcia by the Blaugrana.
Matthijs de Ligt first came under the spotlight after breaking out at Ajax over half-a-decade ago. In fact, he did not only establish himself as a mainstay in defence, but was also the captain for a couple of years before he joined Juventus in the summer of 2019. In Turin, he was off to a slow start, but has now become a key figure at the back for the Bianconeri.
Indeed in the ongoing campaign, de Ligt has missed just two games when fit and available, going on to amass 30 appearances across all competitions. His continued progress has not gone unnoticed either, with one of his long-term suitors once again hot on his trails. The said club are none other than Barcelona.
Barcelona had famously been linked with de Ligt quite heavily before he ended up joining Juventus. However, the Catalan giants have never been too far away from the 21-year-old, when it comes to keeping a close eye on his progress at the Allianz Stadium.
Eduardo Inda has suggested that Barcelona president Joan Laporta and manager Ronald Koeman are both admirers of the Dutch international and view him as the long-term central defensive partner for Eric Garcia, who is believed to be on the cusp of making the switch to Camp Nou.
Therefore, the interest in de Ligt does make sense from a sporting perspective, considering it is not just Gerard Pique that needs to be replaced in the longer run but also Samuel Umtiti, who is likely to be offloaded by Barcelona this summer. That leaves Koeman with Ronald Araujo, Clement Lenglet and Oscar Mingueza as his only other options.
Considering he deploys a three-man backline nowadays, having at least five quality options is imperative. However, de Ligt is sure to command a significant fee if not the world record sum for a defender, which might make him an unfeasible option for Barcelona to pursue. Having said that, it remains to be seen if Barcelona can indeed make a move for the 21-year-old, or if they have to turn their attention elsewhere.
