Barcelona and Chelsea reportedly face stiff competition from Manchester United in the race to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus.
According to a report by Transfer Market Web, Matthijs de Ligt is becoming a highly sought-after defender in the transfer market. Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United are keen on signing the 22-year-old Juventus defender, with the youngster also a target for Tottenham Hotspur.
Matthijs de Ligt joined Juventus from Ajax in July 2019 and has since struggled to reach the heights of his spell with the Dutch giants. The Serie A heavyweights’ struggles since the 2020/21 season have not helped the young defender’s case either. However, de Ligt has still been one of the better performers for the Bianconeri.
To date, the 22-year-old has made 95 appearances for Juventus, chipping in with six goals and two assists along the way. However, de Ligt appears set to leave the Serie A club in the summer transfer window, with Barcelona, Chelsea, and Manchester United keen on signing him.
Barcelona’s interest in de Ligt is long-standing, with the Blaugrana attempting to sign him before he joined Juventus. The continued eagerness to sign the Dutch defender makes sense, considering Eric Garcia has struggled to impress since arriving on a Bosman deal in the summer.
With Gerard Pique in the twilight of his career and Samuel Umtiti deemed surplus to requirements, Barcelona must sign a centre-back again. As for Chelsea, the uncertain futures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen could be prompting the Blues to enter the market for a central defender, making de Ligt a viable target.
Meanwhile, Manchester United might need to sign a centre-back for a second successive summer despite Raphael Varane’s arrival this year. That is because Harry Maguire has been incredibly inconsistent in the ongoing campaign, while Eric Bailly has been linked with a possible exit. So, de Ligt could be an option worth considering for the Red Devils.
In addition to Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United, de Ligt is also a target for Tottenham Hotspur. So, a major transfer battle seems to be setting up to sign the 22-year-old from Juventus. With the Dutchman expected to leave the Serie A club in the summer, it remains to be seen where he ends up after departing the Allianz Stadium.