Juventus bested Barcelona in the race to sign Matthijs De Ligt from Ajax two years ago, but the Spanish side has not stopped monitoring him afterward. The Blaugrana have put the star defender on their shopping list for the summer, but the Bianconeri are not worried about their pursuit, Calciomercato.com reported.
Spanish TV show El Chiringuito informed that the center-back is the only transfer market target on which president Joan Laporta and coach Ronald Koeman are on the same page. De Ligt has remained tight with his former teammate Frenkie De Long, and the Dutch connection is strong within the club.
On the other hand, the Old Lady considers him one of the pillars of their future, alongside Federico Chiesa and Dejan Kulusevski. His agent Mino Raiola also stated that they plan to stay in Turin long-term. Failing to qualify for Champions League will not change their stance, despite the financial hit. He would be their most profitable asset on the roster if put on the market.
De Ligt is the only Juventus player who managed to have a release clause inserted in his contract. It is worth €125M, but it will come into effect in 2022 and not in the upcoming summer. As previously agreed upon, it will raise to €150M if the Italian side and the defender agree on an extension. He was acquired from Ajax for €75M. He has accumulated 69 appearances and scored 5 goals over the course of the last two campaigns, lifting one Scudetto and one Supercoppa Italiana.