Matthijs de Ligt was reportedly eager to join Barcelona from AFC Ajax in the summer of 2019 but was discouraged by veteran defender Gerard Pique.
As reported by SPORT, Barcelona defender and club legend Gerard Pique advised Matthijs de Ligt not to move to Camp Nou in 2019, claiming that he would struggle for minutes if he made the switch.
De Ligt was one of the most in-demand defenders in the transfer market in 2019. Still in his teens, the Dutchman was the captain of AFC Ajax and had just led them to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, where they were eliminated by Tottenham Hotspur.
Following his exploits, de Ligt was on the radars of almost all elite clubs across Europe, including Barcelona. The Catalan giants had agreed to sign Frenkie de Jong from Ajax that summer and wanted to bring in his compatriot to bolster their backline.
And according to the report, de Ligt himself was intent on making the jump to Camp Nou. Negotiations had started to arrange a transfer, but the 22-year-old Netherlands international had a change of heart after an alleged discussion with Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.
The report states that the pair met up while on holiday in the Caribbean islands. During the meeting, Pique is alleged to have discouraged de Ligt from joining Barcelona, claiming that the centre-back would struggle for minutes at Camp Nou, with the starting spots, at the time, firmly occupied by Pique and Clement Lenglet.
It led to de Ligt changing his mind on a transfer to Barcelona, and the defender ended up signing for Italian giants Juventus in a move worth €75 million.
De Ligt’s switch to Juventus has been a moderate success, at least on a personal note. He has continued his growth and development as one of the finest defenders in Europe, even though the Bianconeri’s fortunes have dwindled somewhat. And as per the latest reports, the 22-year-old is ready to take the next step in his career by leaving the Allianz Stadium.
Barcelona have once again been credited with an interest in de Ligt but are set to face competition from Manchester United. In addition, there is also strong interest in the defender from the likes of Bayern Munich and Chelsea. With finances at Camp Nou being tight, it seems unlikely that the Catalan giants will be able to pull off a transfer for the Juventus star this year.
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