Barcelona and Real Madrid are likely to be offered a part-exchange deal to sign 22-year-old Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus.
According to a report by Italian outlet Calciomercato.it, Barcelona and Real Madrid could be given a cost-effective method of securing the services of Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus. The Serie A giants are ready to offer a part-exchange deal to the two La Liga heavyweights for the 22-year-old defender.
Matthijs de Ligt joined Juventus from Ajax in July 2019 on a big-money deal and has since made gradual progress. While he has shown flashes of the immense talent he possesses, the Dutchman is yet to become the firm first-choice centre-back for Juventus, and he has had to share game-time with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.
To date, the 22-year-old has made 96 appearances for the Serie A heavyweights, chipping in with six goals and two assists in the process. However, de Ligt’s time at Juventus could be drawing to a close soon in the wake of recent comments by his agent Mino Raiola pointing towards his frustration at the Allianz Stadium. Such a situation has alerted Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Barcelona, in particular, hold a long-standing interest in de Ligt, having been keen on signing him from Ajax two and a half years ago before he eventually joined Juventus. And the Catalan giants remain keen on landing the Dutch defender, which makes sense, as Eric Garcia’s performances have left a lot to be desired this season.
In addition, Gerard Pique is in the twilight of his career, while Samuel Umtiti has been deemed surplus to requirements by Barcelona, thereby necessitating the arrival of a centre-back. To that end, de Ligt is a viable target for the Blaugrana, although they face stiff competition from Real Madrid in his pursuit.
The interest from Real Madrid is also understandable, as Carlo Ancelotti only has two reliable central defensive options at his disposal in Eder Militao and David Alaba. While Nacho is an able backup, he is not entirely convincing when featuring regularly, which is why Real Madrid must sign a centre-back soon, with de Ligt an option worth considering.
Now, Barcelona and Real Madrid could be offered an economical route to sign the 22-year-old, as Juventus could offer a part-exchange deal for him. The Serie A heavyweights are likely to seek Eden Hazard from Real Madrid, while Frenkie de Jong occupies their fancy from Barcelona.
It is still unclear if Barcelona and Real Madrid will be willing to include Hazard and de Jong, respectively, in the deal to sign de Ligt. However, with the Juventus defender valued at €125 million, such a proposal could make sense, as neither club can afford to pay such a sum. For now, all that remains certain is that de Ligt is frustrated at the Serie A club and will seek a summer exit.