MATTHIJS DE LIGT has reportedly decided to join Juventus this summer after spending weeks agonising over his future.
The in-demand Ajax sensation has been weighing up his options since the season finished.
3
Juve, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Real Madrid have all shown interest in the Dutch centre-back.
Sky Sports claim Italian giants Juventus have won the race after De Ligt agreed a five-year contract worth just under £210,000 a week.
Ajax will reportedly demand about £67million for their 19-year-old defender, who has two years left on his contract.
And in order to fend off Europe’s elite from any future bids, Juve plan to stick a massive £135m release clause in his deal.
Juventus will now begin negotiations with Ajax in order to complete one of the biggest transfers of the summer.
PSG are reportedly still hopeful of scuppering their plans by making a late attempt to sway De Ligt to join the Ligue 1 giants.
In De-mand
De Ligt scored the winner to knock Juventus out of the Champions League quarter-final last season.
And when he came up against Portugal for Holland in the Uefa Nations League final, Cristiano Ronaldo urged him to join him in Turin.
The Ajax star, who admitted his first footy shirt was of Ronaldo when he was at United, was asked whether the Portugal captain had asked him to become a team-mate at Juve.
De Ligt said: “That could be true, yes.
“I didn’t understand him at first. I was a little shocked, so I laughed, but I didn’t say anything.
“Shortly after the game you are not at all concerned with it, you are disappointed you have lost and that is the only thing you are thinking about.”
De Ligt helped steer Ajax into the Champions League semi-final and won the Eredivisie title with them last season.
The Dutch club’s skipper won the Golden Boy award for Europe’s best youngster last year.
3
3
