Matthijs de Ligt has been the transfer saga of the summer so far. The Ajax captain, who skippered his side to a domestic double and the Champions League semi-final last season, is set to leave the Dutch giants.
The Amsterdammers have been resigned to the 19-year-old’s exit since April, when coach Erik ten Hag declared: "There's zero chance Matthijs is staying at Ajax. There are so many clubs interested in him.”
De Ligt has since been tipped to follow close pal Frenkie de Jong to Barcelona ; to be part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s overhaul at Manchester United ; to head to Germany with Bayern Munich and, most recently, to take a big-money contract at Paris Saint-Germain.
However, reports in Italy now claim that the centre-back, currently on holiday after UEFA Nations League duty, has now finally made a decision over his future.
According to reports in both Italy and Holland, notably de Telegraaf, De Ligt is closing on a switch to Turin.
It’s claimed that after failing to reach a deal with Barcelona in contract negotiations, not wanting to miss out on Champions League football at Old Trafford and similarly not wanting to move to Ligue 1 with PSG - despite De Ligt and his girlfriend being shown around the city by PSG management - the player and his agent, Mino Raiola, have turned to the eight-in-a-row Italian champions.
Raiola has strong ties with the Turin club, and has been a key component in a number of their dealings in recent years.
As such, sporting director Fabio Paratici is now set to thrash out a deal with Ajax and is looking to seal a deal at around £62million.
Juventus , who this week paraded from former Chelsea chief Maurizio Sarri as their new manager, will pay in the region of £16million per year before tax to the defensive powerhouse.
De Ligt revealed earlier this month that a conversation with Cristiano Ronaldo after the Nations League Final had seen the Portuguese ask him about joining the Bianconeri.
“He asked me to come to Juventus,” he told NOS. “I was a little shocked by that question, that's why I laughed. I didn't understand him at first.”
Now, it seems like the Italian champions, still yearning for Champions League success after 23 years, are in the driving seat to finally end the race for the teenager.
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