Whatever Cristiano Ronaldo said to him after the Nations League final has worked a treat.
Matthijs De Ligt has agreed personal terms with Juventus and a summer move now rests on the Bianconeri sorting a transfer fee with Ajax.
Earlier this month, Ronaldo approached the defender after Portugal defeated The Netherlands in the Nations Cup final. Asked about their chat, De Ligt told reporters:
“Ronaldo asked me to go to Juventus. I was surprised by his request, which is why I laughed. I didn’t understand him at first.”
The 19-year-old was a United fan, growing up, so it was no harm on the Premier League side chancing their arm to get him to Old Trafford. In the end, though, the straight fight for his signature appeared to be between Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain.
And then, out of left field, Juve came roaring into the fight.
Maurizio Sarri will take over as manager and the Italians had already lined up Brazilian defender Wesley and former Arsenal and Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey for him.
Looking to make a statement, and push on in the Champions League, securing De Ligt would be a real boon. They were outsiders but Ronaldo having a word into the ear of a player that looked up to him as a young United fan appears to have swayed the deal his way.
PSG are not one bit impressed and word has quickly come out, in France, of the contract clauses that scuttled his proposed move to Paris. According to RMC Sport, De Ligt’s representatives wanted two vital pieces in his contract:
- A €150 million release clause
- The option to leave PSG after a year if he did not like Ligue 1
Two clauses that indicated – like an amped-up klaxon – that De Ligt was perhaps committed to PSG for the long haul. As per the report, Juventus have agreed to the €150m release clause but there was no similar one-season suck-it-and-see request allowed by the Italians. A PSG source told RMC:
‘To look for ways to leave a club after just arriving is not very classy and, above all, means he does not fit in with our project’.
PSG are expected to officially announce the arrivals of Ander Herrera and Paolo Sarabia on Monday but, barring a collapse of his Juve deal, De Ligt will not be there beside them in Paris.
