Back in April, Matthijs de Ligt and Ajax sent Juventus home in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, beating them 3-2 in aggregate. The addition of Ronaldo was thought to be just what they needed to break this Champions League trophy drought. However, it turned out that the young, exciting Ajax got the best of them and sent them home once again without the hardware they so desperately long for.
After playing so well this season for Ajax, De Ligt’s name was attached to top-tier clubs around the world. FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United were all interested in him. The 19-year-old Dutch centerback has quite the record for his age. He was the captain of the team he grew up playing for, became the youngest Ajax player to play in 100 games for the club, scored in a Champions League semifinal, became the first defender to win the Golden Boy award, and more. It’s no wonder his name was the target of well-known clubs this transfer season.
Despite the efforts of other teams, Juve won the De Ligt sweepstakes, as they signed the defensemen for $84.3 million. He spoke to reporters about his decision, stating that he’s always been attracted to the way Italians defend. Some of his biggest idols in football are Italian defenders, and this played a big part in his decision-making process. He hopes to follow in his idols’ footsteps with the biggest club in Italian football this upcoming season.
He cares about playing time. For his age and skill, he’d get all the field time he could dream of on any other team. However, with Juve, he’ll share his position with two of Italy’s best defenders in Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. It’ll be interesting to watch this team play this season. They’re stacked with talent in the starting lineup. And, they have stellar players on the bench ready to reJUVEnate the game whenever new coach Maurizio Sarri nods their way.
De Ligt arrived in Turin to a roaring crowd of fans. The fans showed that no matter how great their team is already they’re always excited and welcoming to promising new players. Although this isn’t as big of a name as Ronaldo, Juventus fans are thrilled at what the future holds. They’ll be the favorites to win their league championship which would be their ninth in a row. As Champions League goes, they have yet another tough road ahead if they want to finally win it all. This signing makes them better, and De Ligt hopes to bring the biggest team in Italy exactly what they want.