The Matthijs de Ligt saga has appeared to drag on after reports saying Juventus faced complications in a deal to sign the defender from Ajax. The Bianconeri have agreed on a £12m-a-year package with the player and are willing to offer £55m plus another £10m in bonuses – something the Ajax officials are reluctant to agree upon.
Barcelona have been alerted of the situation and president Josep Maria Bartomeu’s latest comments added fuel to the fire regarding de Ligt’s future.
Commenting on the situation, Bartomeu said:
“I said a while ago I knew where De Ligt was going to play and I maintain that. I am reading that there are problems negotiating with Ajax [for Juventus], but we will see,” he said. “In the end, it’s the player that decides where he’s going and when to announce it, but I insist that I know where he will go.”
The Catalans were initially considered to be in the pole position to land the defender but fell behind after interests from Juventus, Paris Saint Germain and Manchester United. Barcelona are reluctant to increase their offer and are waiting in the wings to see if de Ligt’s move to Italy falls through.
