In a recent report, Calciomercato stated that super-agent Mino Raiola has offered Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt to Manchester City. It has been revealed that Man City are not the only club in the running to sign the Dutch centre-back as both Chelsea and Barcelona could also compete for his signature.
De Ligt’s Solid Season In Italian Football Thus Far
De Ligt has made a solid start to this campaign as he has been responsible for producing some dominant performances at the heart of Juve’s backline. The 22-year-old has registered one goal in eight matches for the Mancunian outfit this season across various competitions.
The former Ajax talent is enjoying a decent run of form for the Turin club on the defensive end of the field based on his average of 1.0 tackles, 1.0 interceptions and 2.8 clearances per 90 minutes in Serie A. He has even taken care of the ball when distributing it out from the back after making 84.9% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Italian football (stats via whoscored).
De Ligt’s current contract at the Allianz Stadium runs until the summer of 2024, so Man City will have to make a big offer if they want to lure the Dutch defensive ace to the Etihad Stadium next year.
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What Will De Ligt Add To Manchester City’s Side?
Standing at 1.89m, De Ligt can use his strength to overpower the opposition on the defensive end of the field. He can win his fair share of aerial duels and is not shy to get stuck in with a few tackles to earn possession back for his side inside his half.
The 31-time Netherlands international doesn’t take too many risks when clearing his lines and is often quick to snuff out the danger at the back. He even packs a lot of power with his shots from long range and is a tidy passer of the ball.
A complete centre-back of de Ligt’s skillset will be an excellent acquisition for the Mancunian giants if they decide to move in for him in the future. There is no doubt that the Dutch talent will add plenty of quality to Pep Guardiola‘s defence. He could even help the reigning Premier League champions maintain their dominance in English football over the next decade.
