(Football news) Juventus for the 2nd season in a row have finished 4th in the Serie A. It is very clear now that the club needs a rebuild of sorts. The departures of Giorgio Chiellini and Paulo Dybala have been confirmed while several top players have been linked with the club. A big part of the next project is Matthijs de Ligt. The Dutch center back is expected to be at the center of the new Juventus generation now that Chiellini is gone. De Ligt, whose current contract ends in 2024, is in talks to extend his contract till 2026.
After Erik ten Hag, who was De Ligt's former manager at Ajax joined Manchester United, there were several reports linking the Dutch international with a move to Old Trafford. After the departure of Chiellini, Juventus simply can't afford to lose De Ligt. It's been nearly 3 years since the Bianconeri spent €75 million on the defender. At such a young age he had already been the Ajax club captain for a year and came in with a huge reputation. His career at Juventus hasn't been great so far by any means. He has been down in the pecking order at times due to his clumsiness. Recently after regularly starting games the defender has shown his quality. De Ligt is only 22 years old and has a potential which should make him untouchable as far as Juventus are concerned.
As for Manchester United, they desperately need a solid center back in the squad. The massive drop in Harry Maguire's form and the struggles of Raphael Varane to cope with a new environment is one of the main reasons for United's downfall. De Ligt would be a perfect signing for them but his current contract talks with Juventus is not good news for them. De Ligt's priority will be to play regular football at a club which has a good project. At Juventus the Dutchman is definitely a candidate to take over the captaincy in the future which will be a part of his long term goal. Young Ajax center back Jurrien Timber has also been linked with Manchester United and will be a much cheaper option.
Also read: Paulo Dybala pens emotional letter confirming surprising Juventus exit
