Juventus snare De Ligt from Ajax for 75 million euros
(Reuters) - Juventus announced the signing of Dutch teenager Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax Amsterdam yesterday, having secured one of the most soughtafter young players in world soccer for 75 million euros ($84.25 million).
The 19-year-old Netherlands international, who captained his former club in their thrilling run to the Champions League semifinals last season, has signed a five-year deal with the Serie A champions.
“It’s the news all Bianconeri fans have been waiting to hear all summer: Matthijs de Ligt is officially a Juventus player!” the club said in a statement on their website
https://www.juventus.com/en/ news/news/2019/de-ligt-is-bianconero.php.
The contract includes a buyout clause of 150 million euros that will be activated in its third year, broadcaster Sky Italy reported on Wednesday.
De Ligt becomes one of the most expensive defenders in the world, with his national team captain Virgil van Dijk top of the list following his move to Liverpool from Southampton for 75 million pounds ($94 million) in 2018.
After breaking into the Ajax first team aged 17 in 2016, De Ligt established himself as a regular starter over the following season and soon became the most coveted defender in Europe due to his strength, anticipation and ability on the ball.
He played 90 minutes in 17 of Ajax’s 18 Champions League matches last season, scoring three times in a run which culminated in a semi-final defeat to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on away goals.
De Ligt did win the Eredivisie title and Dutch Cup in his final campaign at Ajax, alongside team mate Frenkie De Jong, who has since joined Barcelona.
Spanish media reported that De Ligt had also been courted by the Catalans, but the player’s agent Mino Raiola said at Juventus’ headquarters on Wednesday that the Italian club were always the preferred destination.
“It’s not a question of who wanted him most, but Juve are the best team for him. For a defender it is important to come to Italy,” Raiola told reporters.
“If you are to become the greatest in the world, it is a necessary stage.
“He’s the number one among the youngsters. He’s like (Pavel) Nedved, maybe more than him, for his mentality and he’s like Zlatan (Ibrahimovic) for his WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A group of rueful New Zealand players touched down on home soil yesterday, still coming to terms with the gut-wrenching defeat to England in the World Cup final.
Pace bowler Trent Boult was among six Black Caps players making a low-key homecoming at Auckland airport, soaking up commiserations from a few fans and well-wishers.
The left-armer was still haunted by the deflection off Ben Stokes’s bat in the 50th over that raced to the boundary and helped send the final into a Super Over before England claimed the win on the total boundaries scored. ambition. He has it all.”
De Ligt had told Netherlands’ NOS television in June that Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo asked him to join the
“It’s natural to nitpick, to wonder about all those little things and how it could have been a totally different game,” he told reporters at the airport. “I’ve been living that last over in my mind a lot — somehow I got hit for six along the ground which has never happened before.
“To see the scores level (after the Super Over) and still lose, yeah, that was a pretty unique situation.”
England’s maiden World Cup title denied New Zealand their first but the class shown by Black Caps captain Kane Williamson and his players in defeat generated global acclaim.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Turin-based club at the end of the Nations League final after Portugal beat the Netherlands 10. Ardern said she wanted to put on a homecoming celebration for the team but their different schedules and commitments have put the idea on ice for the time being.
Boult said he was overwhelmed by the messages of support from the public.
“We’ve just been on a plane 15 hours and there were a lot of Kiwis saying ‘we felt for you’,” he said.
“I didn’t really know what to say. Obviously, we’re all hurting and we’re sorry for letting everyone down.
“I just want to get home, walk my dog along the beach and try to forget about it but it’s gonna be a hard one to swallow for the next couple of years.”