Barcelona have reportedly turned their attention towards Matthijs de Ligt, with the 22-year-old yet again emerging as a key target for them.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona are determined to add to their central defensive arsenal in a future transfer window to solidify Ronald Koeman’s options. To that end, they have created a shortlist of five potential options, with Matthijs de Ligt once again emerging as a target for the Catalan giants.
Matthijs de Ligt first burst into the limelight when he made his first team debut for Ajax aged just 17. His star has continued to ascend in the years that have followed, with the Dutchman even being named the club captain while still in his teens. Having made remarkable progress early in his career it was hardly surprising that he was soon tailed by the who’s who of Europe.
Eventually, Juventus prevailed in the race to sign the 22-year-old in the summer of 2019. And after a slow start to his stint with the Serie A heavyweights, de Ligt has become a pivotal player for them, going on to make 78 appearances so far while chipping in with five goals and two assists. His continued growth has alerted long-term suitors Barcelona, among others.
Barcelona were, in fact, once touted to be the favourites to sign de Ligt along with compatriot Frenkie de Jong before he ended up joining Juventus instead. The continued interest in the young defender, though, is understandable.
With Clement Lenglet failing to impress for quite some time now and Samuel Umtiti becoming a peripheral figure, Ronald Koeman’s central defensive options are wearing a little thin, especially with Gerard Pique in the twilight of his career. So, it is not surprising that Barcelona wish to sign a centre-back soon.
To that end, the Blaugrana have identified as many as five candidates to potentially bolster the heart of their defence, with the options namely being Aymeric Laporte, Sven Botman, Mohammed Salisu and Cristian Romero. And de Ligt also features on this shortlist, with Barcelona hoping to finally land him in the coming windows.
Also Read: Barcelona Summer Transfer Window Verdict 2021/22
For now, de Ligt appears to be one of five options being considered by Barcelona for a summer move. What now remains to be seen is if the 22-year-old becomes the primary choice for Barcelona and if he ends up leaving Serie A heavyweights Juventus subsquently.
