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Juventus, Why failure to sign De Ligt could lead to deal for World Cup winning defender

Juventus, Why failure to sign De Ligt could lead to deal for World Cup winning defender

Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt is a hot topic at the moment. The young centre-back, who has become captain of the club at the age of 19, is a wanted man; with Juventus, Barcelona and PSG all considered to be the frontrunners for the Dutchman, or at least are the clubs who would be able to afford Ajax's price for him.

Barcelona, in recent months, have emerged as frontrunners for the Dutchman's signature. Juventus have taken a backburner in their approach, as he seems to be nearing a move to Barcelona. De Ligt's Ajax teammate and compatriot Frenkie de Jong agreed a €75m deal with Barcelona in January, to be completed in the summer, and there is a general feeling that de Ligt may follow suit.

Juventus, therefore, may need to look at alternate options. Luckily, AS report that if Barcelona sign de Ligt, they will be forced to sell French World Cup-winning centre-back Samuel Umtiti. If this is the case, Juventus may look at Umtiti as someone to bring into their squad.

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