Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Chelsea are reportedly in a transfer tussle to sign Matthijs de Ligt, valued at €65 million by Serie A giants Juventus.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea are the three front-runners in the race to sign Matthijs de Ligt in the summer transfer window. Serie A giants Juventus will demand around €65 million to part with the Dutch defender.
Matthijs de Ligt has been widely regarded as one of the best young defenders in Europe for the better part of the last five years. But the 22-year-old has only made gradual progress since joining Juventus from Ajax in July 2019, having had to share game-time with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.
Juventus’s struggles during this period have not helped matters for de Ligt, who has made 98 appearances to date for the Bianconeri. The Dutch international’s time at the Allianz Stadium seems to be winding down, and he will seek a new adventure in the summer transfer window. The player’s situation has captured the attention of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
Barcelona will need to enter the market for a centre-back for a second successive summer as last year’s major acquisition Eric Garcia has flattered to deceive this season. While the Spaniard is still primed for big things at Camp Nou, Gerard Pique’s advancing years and Samuel Umtiti’s never-ending fitness woes are prompting Barcelona to seek a long-term solution at the back.
Matthijs de Ligt has thus emerged as a key target for Barcelona, who were hot on his trail before his move to Juventus. On the other hand, Chelsea’s interest in the 22-year-old stems from the uncertainties surrounding the futures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger.
The two first-choice centre-backs have entered the final six months of their respective Chelsea contracts, with development on the renewal front being slow. That is why de Ligt has become an important target for the Blues. Finally, Bayern Munich might also need to sign a central defender amid Niklas Sule’s precarious contract situation.
Sule is coincidentally a target for Barcelona and Chelsea, and his departure would open a spot for a new centre-back, bringing de Ligt into the picture. But signing him will cost a pretty penny, with Juventus demanding €65 million to part with the Dutch international.
Barcelona’s financial struggles could prevent them from making a move for de Ligt, although they have shown that they can spend big sums for key targets by landing Ferran Torres. But Chelsea and Bayern Munich could potentially offer de Ligt better terms while spending €65 million on him with ease.
