Barcelona will reportedly need to shell out €100 million to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Serie A giants Juventus in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona might not be able to afford to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus in the summer transfer window. The Serie A giants are set to demand around €100 million to part with the Dutch international ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Matthijs de Ligt came through the ranks at Ajax before seeing his stock skyrocket after becoming the club captain while still in his teens. After attaining the status of a prodigious defender, the 22-year-old became a hot property in the transfer market before joining Juventus in July 2019.
The Dutch international’s stint with the Serie A giants has not been as fruitful as he would have liked, although he has enjoyed a solid 2021/22 campaign. The player has turned out 36 times across all competitions for Juventus this season, chipping in with three goals. But de Ligt’s future is up in the air, with several European bigwigs, including Barcelona, hot on his heels.
Barcelona will continue remoulding the first-team squad in the summer transfer window under the aegis of Xavi Hernandez. The former Spanish international has overseen a solid turnaround in fortunes for the Blaugrana in the second half of 2021/22 and will look to bolster his unit ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Reinforcing the central defensive department is one of the objectives for Barcelona, with Gerard Pique approaching the final phase of his career. In addition, Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet face uncertain futures at Camp Nou and could leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
As a result, several centre-backs have emerged on Barcelona’s radar, with Andreas Christensen on the verge of completing a Bosman move from Chelsea. But signing de Ligt could be a step in the right direction, as the Catalan giants might need to replace multiple centre-backs in the summer. But signing the Juventus defender could be beyond Barcelona’s means.
The Serie A giants are demanding around €100 million to let go of de Ligt, which comes as a blow for Barcelona, as they are yet to see the last of their crippling financial situation. So while de Ligt has emerged as a viable target, spending €100 million on him could be out of the question for Barcelona.