Juventus are going through a financial and sporting crisis. In the boardroom, the figures don’t align. It is also the same story on the pitch.
The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo has robbed them of plenty of goals. With goals hard to come by, keeping them out has also been another issue as the Turin based side struggle to climb up the Serie A ladder.
One Juventus player keen to leave the club is Matthijs de Ligt. The Dutch defender believes he is ready for a new challenge. Chelsea are reported to be one of the sides interested in him.
De Ligt ready for a new challenge?
After about two years in Turin, Matthijs de Ligt believes he is ready for the next stage of his career. According to the player’s agent Mino Raiola, De Light is ready for a new challenge.
After his €75 million transfer from boyhood club Ajax Amsterdam to the Turin based side in 2019, De Ligt had an underwhelming start to life at Juventus but has gone on to find his feet. De Ligt believes he has had enough at Juventus and wants out.
Much of his newfound form can be attributed to the new Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri. The Italian coach has played De Ligt in 14 games, with 13 as ar. He has accumulated a total of 1,203 Serie A minutes this season.
A force to reckon with in the Juve dressing room
De Ligt may not be a veteran or one of the senior players at Juventus, but the young defender has become something of a force in the Turin club. He has been learning from veteran defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. He is becoming a dominant figure in the team, with his last error leading to a chance coming in his debut season for Juventus.
De Ligt also stands head and shoulder above everyone else in the Juve defence as he boasts more aerial duels per 90 minutes (4.71). He has also won more aerial duels than his fellow defenders, with a 2.99 success rate per match.
Despite his young age and increasing status at Juventus, De Ligt has left his options open as he looks to become one of the game’s greats.
Super-agent Mino Raiola is ready to move his client forward. The agent who boasts of Paul Pogba, Erling Haaland and Gianluigi Donnarumma as his clients spoke of the defender’s stance in an interview released on Sunday.
Quoted by Dutch outlet NRC, Raiola said De Ligt is ready for a new step in his career, and he agrees with the 22-year-old defender.
The statements by Raiola come just a day after Juventus chief executive Maurizio Arrivabene said that there would be no big-money signings during the January transfer window.
By :
Steven D. Thompson
