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What's the story?
If reports from Sky Sports Italia's transfer pundit Gianluca Di Marzio are to be believed, Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt has agreed to join Italian giants, Juventus.
In case you didn't know...
Coming through the ranks of Dutch outfit Ajax Amsterdam, De Ligt broke out into the first team squad in the 2017-18 season. Impressing with his stellar defensive performances, the Dutchman was named the youngest Ajax captain in March 2018.
With his exploits at the heart of Ajax's defence in the recently concluded season, he led the Dutch side to the Eredivisie title and reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. The 19-year-old has attracted a host of top European clubs including FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus.
Since FC Barcelona announced the signing of his Ajax teammate Frenkie de Jong, it was believed that the defender will follow the path of his compatriot to the Camp Nou. However, according to the report, the Dutchman has decided that he'd be joining the Bianconeri in the summer.
The heart of the matter
Following the Netherlands encounter against Portugal in the inaugural UEFA Nations League's final, the Ajax captain revealed that Juventus icon Cristiano Ronaldo urged him to join the Bianconeri following the final whistle:
"At the end of the match, Cristiano told me: 'Join me at Juventus. At first I didn't understand him and it surprised me a little. I was in shock. That's why I laughed but I didn't say anything."
Di Marzio broke the news earlier by saying "strong opening to Juventus in the last few minutes" by Matthijs de Ligt. He further reported that the Dutchman could cost Juventus in the region of €60-€70 million and the club is increasingly confident of closing the deal.
Adding on to what has been reported, the latest reports from Sky Sports claim that the centre-back has decided to sign for Juve.
What's next?
Despite being linked heavily with Paris Saint-Germain, it seems like Matthijs de Ligt is on his way to the Allianz stadium to represent the Old Lady in Serie A. He could possibly become the first signing of Maurizio Sarri at Juve.
