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What's the rumour?
Juventus are getting closer to signing Barcelona target Matthijs de Ligt, according to reports in Calciomercato. He has agreed personal terms with the Turin giants as per the report.
It will be significantly a big blow to the Catalan giants who were keen on signing the Ajax defender. The Dutchmen is managed by super-agent Mino Raiola and if Juventus manage to agree a fee with Ajax, they will not entertain offers from any other club.
The youngster has linked with various clubs across Europe but Juventus manager Max Allegri and the Juventus Board were all keen to sign him and they have taken a significant step by agreeing personal terms with him.
In Case you didn't know
Matthjis De Ligt came through the famous Ajax youth academy and he has established himself as a regular in the Ajax side at a tender age of 18. He already has 7 caps for the Netherlands national team as well and he last season he was a part of the Ajax team that reached the Europa League final.
He is 6'1 and he has an impressive physique and good passing skills, while he has also shown leadership qualities this season.
The heart of the matter
Despite agreeing personal terms with the youngster Juventus need to agree a fee with Ajax and they need to do as soon as possible because there are plenty of suitors for him who are keen to have him in their squad.
The key for Juventus to get their man will be to agree a fee with Ajax, with so many clubs interested in him Ajax are likely to demand a very high fee in this inflated market.
Rumour rating: 8/10
The rumour makes a lot of sense as Juventus defenders Medhi Benatia, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli are all in their 30's and there have been constant rumours of Chelsea closing down on Daniele Rugani.
The Old Lady need to strengthen their defence for a long term and he seems to be the perfect solution for that. The Dutchman is a promising defender and he could offer stability to the Turin giants for years to come.
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What's next
Ajax are likely to demand a high fee for the highly rated youngster, it will be interesting to see how Juventus deal with that. Though Juventus could negotiate a deal by agreeing a fee and then put in add-ons on in the deal based on his performances.
