MX23RW : Monday, January 27 06:53:55| >> :120:29250:29250:

Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt 'wants Premier League move'

Matthijs de Ligt 'wants Premier League move'
© Reuters
Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt tells the club he wants to move to the Premier League amid links with Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.

Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt is reportedly keen to leave the Italian giants and head for the Premier League in the current transfer window.

The Netherlands international arrived in Turin for a £77m fee from Ajax in the summer of 2019 and has since been a mainstay of the Bianconeri defence under Andrea Pirlo and Massimiliano Allegri.

However, De Ligt's contract at the Allianz Stadium now only has two years left to run, and the 22-year-old's long-term future is shrouded in uncertainty.

A Premier League move has been strongly mooted for the centre-back, who has been linked with Chelsea and a reunion with ex-Ajax coach Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.

Juve have been attempting to ward off interest in De Ligt with a new contract, but the Turin giants' efforts will seemingly not bear fruit.

Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt pictured on February 22, 2022© Reuters

According to Correire dello Sport, De Ligt has no interest in renewing his contract with the Old Lady and has informed the club of his desire to seal a Premier League transfer in the coming weeks.

De Ligt's existing Juventus contract is understood to include a mammoth £98.8m release clause, but the Dutchman's representatives want the Old Lady to accept a figure closer to £68.7m to sanction his exit.

De Ligt - who is understood to be the highest earner in the Juventus squad with a base yearly salary of €8m (£6.9m) - could therefore be set to leave Juventus having registered eight goals and three assists in 117 appearances for the club in all tournaments.

The 2021-22 season saw the 22-year-old score three goals and set up one more in 42 outings, making 29 starts in the Serie A season, and his departure would further deplete Allegri's defensive ranks after Giorgio Chiellini left for Los Angeles FC.

De Ligt has won the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana during his three years in Turin, but Chelsea and United are not expected to be the only teams in the running for his signature.

Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt pictured October 27, 2021© Reuters

A separate report from the Italian outlet - via the Liverpool Echo - states that Liverpool are also ready to take advantage of De Ligt's contract impasse at Juventus, in spite of the expectation that Joe Gomez will now stay at Anfield this summer.

In contrast, Chelsea have already lost Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger on free transfers, while Cesar Azpilicueta could still leave the London club amid continued links with Barcelona.

Thomas Tuchel's side are said to be at the head of the queue for De Ligt, who became Eredivisie champion and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League under new Man United coach Ten Hag at Ajax.

Man United could be set to lose Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe and Eric Bailly this summer, while Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire came under criticism for their performances last term.

The Red Devils are on the hunt for alternative centre-back targets after being turned down by Jurrien Timber, whose Ajax teammate Lisandro Martinez is also understood to be on Man United and Arsenal's radar.

ID:488718:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect7440:
Written by
Ben Knapton

Click here for more stories about Matthijs de Ligt

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt pictured on February 22, 2022
Read Next:
Three clubs that could sign Matthijs de Ligt this summer
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool22165154213353
2Arsenal23138244212347
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2313553327644
4Manchester CityMan City23125647301741
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle23125641271441
6Chelsea23117545301540
7Bournemouth23117541261540
8Aston Villa2310763435-137
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2381053531434
10Fulham238963431333
11Brentford2394104240231
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd2385102832-429
13Crystal Palace236982630-427
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham2376102844-1627
15Tottenham HotspurSpurs2373134637924
16Everton225891928-923
17Leicester CityLeicester2345142549-2417
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2344153252-2016
19Ipswich TownIpswich2337132147-2616
20Southampton2313191653-376


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!