According to Sport, Barcelona had the opportunity to sign Matthijs de Ligt this summer. The Ajax youngster is tipped to join Juventus, but the report claims that the Dutchman had contacted Barcelona to let them know that his priority was to join Nou Camp.
He also demanded similar personal terms that were offered to him by the Italian giants. However, the Spanish giants were unwilling to meet that offer. But, was that the right decision by the club?
What de Ligt could have brought to the table?
It’s needless to say that de Ligt is one of the most highly rated defenders in European football, having enjoyed a stellar spell at Ajax in the past two seasons. Especially in the 2018/19 campaign, the youngster played a key role behind Ajax’s 34th Eredivisie triumph. He also helped the Dutch giants reach the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League.
The 19-year-old is advertised as a ball playing defender, whose style of play is almost identical to Barcelona superstar Gerard Pique. Much like the Spaniard, de Ligt is adept in passing in between the lines and facilitating the backline with his laser focussed passes. He is also capable of initiating counter-attacks by threading accurate long balls in behind the defence.
Furthermore, the youngster is an excellent reader of the game. And that could have made him an ideal asset to Barcelona’s possession-based style of play, where the main defensive game relies on cutting off passes from the opposition.
De Ligt is not a physically imposing defender as the likes of Samuel Umtiti or Sergio Ramos. But, what he lacks in physicality, he more than makes up for it with his positional sense and defensive awareness. Also, his tall 1.89 frame makes him an intimidating presence in defence.
Verdict
The Dutch defender would have certainly been an excellent addition to this Barcelona defence that has struggled against aggressive counter-attacking oppositions. De Ligt, in that regard, could have provided the much-needed youth exuberance which, coupled with his superior ball-playing qualities, would have made him an ideal signing for Blaugrana.
That being said, offering a 19-year-old stupendous amount of money could have brought massive unrest in a squad filled with senior superstars such as Lionel Messi, Arturo Vidal, Sergio Busquets, among many others.
And right now, Barcelona needs to remain and play as a cohesive unit if they are to get their hands on the Champions League next season. Hence, rejecting the opportunity to sign de Ligt was a matured decision by the board.
