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Man Utd and Man City claim made about Matthijs de Ligt amid Juventus and PSG decision
MATTHIJS DE LIGT could have joined any club he wanted to across Europe this summer, including Premier League duo Manchester United and Manchester City.
That’s according to French football expert Julien Laurens.
De Ligt’s future has been a popular topic so far this summer with the in-demand Ajax captain seemingly representing one of the safest and smartest investments on the market.
At just 19, the centre-back established himself as one of the best defenders in Europe last year as he led his club to the Eredivisie title, the KNVB Cup and the Champions League semi-finals, only being denied a trip to the final by a last-gasp goal in the second leg of their semi-final with Tottenham that eliminated them via away goals.
De Ligt was strongly linked with Barcelona at first, with it thought the Netherlands international would follow Frenkie de Jong - his team-mate for club and country - to the Nou Camp.
But in the months since, the teenager has been linked with Premier League trio Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool as well as European giants Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
It now appears that De Ligt is either Juve or PSG bound, with the Italian club said to have tabled an appealing five-year contract for the defender according to Amsterdam-based outlet De Telegraaf.
And Laurens says such was the level of interest in the Dutchman’s talents across the continent that he has had freedom of choice to pick his next destination.
Laurens said on ESPN FC: “In Paris they still believe they’re leading the race and are in a very good position. Leonardo the sporting director is very close to Mino Raiola and they believe that’s a very good asset to have.
Someone told me this morning that Matthijs de Ligt could have signed anywhere he wanted this summer, pretty much
“Yet it seems Juventus is little-by-little catching up and maybe at some point will overtake them in the race like Barcelona did with Frenkie de Jong did a few months ago.
“They were very happy with the offer from Paris, the fact that he’d play a lot. They like that project and the wages they were offering were massive and that was very appealing.
“Someone told me this morning that Matthijs de Ligt could have signed anywhere he wanted this summer, pretty much.
“That if he had decided to go to Man City or to Man United or to Juventus or to Real Madrid, he would have been able to go there. Because everybody wanted him. He’s that good.
Matthijs de Ligt is the one for Man Utd says Ray Parlour
“It’s the time that he will leave now to go somewhere else. There were a lot of pretenders but now it seems we’re down to two, Juventus and PSG with PSG for a long time leading the race but with Juventus still very much there.
“Is Mino Raiola playing the game and making everyone believe that Juventus are very much there to get more from PSG? That’s a very big possibility.
“In Paris they’re still confident but they were very confident with Frenkie de Jong and in the end he didn’t sign there.”