Matthijs de Ligt, who is the main topic of discussion of this summer’s transfer window seemed like he would for sure join Barcelona only weeks ago, however, just like any transfer window, even this one is full of surprises, as new teams enter the race for the Dutch defender.
Dusan Tadic of Ajax, Matthijs de Ligt of Ajax, Juventus FC goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny during the UEFA Champions League quarter final match between Juventus FC and Ajax Amsterdam at the Allianz Arena on April 16, 2019 in Turin, Italy(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
Matthijs de Ligt, Ajax captain and one of the most sought after players of 2019 has been caught in a dilemma with numerous contracts from Europe’s best clubs on his table. This, however, was not the case only weeks ago, when it was reported de Ligt would for sure join Barcelona who expressed their desire to bring the centre-back to the team.
Proving he is an incredible player by helping his team shock the world with UEFA Champions League semi-final appearance, the Dutch defender did not only caught the attention of Blaugrana but other European heavyweights as well. While it all seemed like de Ligt would be wearing Barcelona shirt in 2019/20 season, the negotiations took a sudden turn with complications between Barcelona and de Ligt’s agent Mino Raiola.
These “complication” which gave Barcelona headaches proved to be a great chance for other European clubs to approach de Light and offer him a spot in their team. The teams that stepped in and expressed their interest in signing de Ligt include Manchester United, Manchester City, Juventus and even the French heavyweight, who as we all know are not afraid to spend huge sums of money, Paris Saint-Germain.
Featuring some of the European superpowers, it should not come off as a surprise, the offered contract for the Dutch centre-back is among the highest in the football world. As it was reported, Manchester United offered de Ligt £350,000/week, with Juventus and Barcelona following with their own offers. While the youngster expressed his desire to join de Jong at Barcelona, his agent Mino Raiola decided he has other ideas. As reported by Metro, Raiola met with PSG sporting director, with whom he hopes he could strike a deal which would see de Ligt playing in France next season. While the deal is far from finalized, it was reported that PSG have offered Ajax £62million plus add-ons and an astonishing a five-year deal to de Ligt worth £340,000/week. As it seems, £62million is more than enough to persuade Ajax into selling the player but are now waiting for de Ligt to decide which club he wants to represent.
Which club will the young Dutchman pick is something only he knows. While all the reports seem to point towards him joining PSG, we cannot simply disregard a possibility he will join Barcelona or any other club that might join in the race in the upcoming weeks. As it seems, de Light has been caught in between his own desires and directions dictated by his agent. It’s no secret de Light wants to join Barcelona where he would play with his former teammate, but on the other side, it’s been revealed that Mino Raiola hopes he could convince de Light to join PSG.
Barcelona already presented their offer, meanwhile, PSG has reportedly been in advanced talks with Mino Raiola. Will it, in the end, come down to Barcelona or PSG is something we can only speculate, however, knowing that Juventus, Manchester United and Manchester City all expressed their desire to sign the teenager before, this story could be far from over.
