Matthijs de Ligt Transfer Odds

The Premier League will resume in August, but until then, the only football-related news out there is transfers. Clubs all around Europe are be scrambling to sell their players and bring in new ones in time for the opening game of their season.

Premier League sides, like so many times in the past, will be responsible for some of the biggest outlays on new signings. One player that could move for big money this summer is Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt, who has been linked with a move away from Serie A to the Premier League.

Many of the Premier League’s biggest sides are in need of defensive reinforcements, and the Dutchman is an attractive proposition for many, with his young age, and the fact that his contract up in 2 years - meaning he could be bought for a cheaper fee than expected.

Juventus, however, will surely want to recoup as much of the reported £67m they spent on signing de Ligt in 2019 meaning transfer talks may be difficult leading to an interesting transfer saga. Here, we take a look at some of the clubs that Matthijs de Ligt could join if he were to leave Juventus…

*All odds correct at time of writing.

With the takeover of Chelsea by a consortium of billionaires led by Todd Boehly being confirmed in recent weeks, the first task for the Blues’ new owners is to ensure that the club have a strong transfer window so that they are as well-prepared as possible for the upcoming season.

Luckily for Chelsea fans, it looks like Boehly and co are doing just that, with reports linking the Blues with moves for attackers such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Raheem Sterling and Raphinha. While reinforcing their forward line is something the Blues need to do, especially in the wake of striker Romelu Lukaku’s departure, they have a more pressing issue at hand – their defence.

Previously this window, Chelsea have seen 2 of their centre-backs depart for La Liga, with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen both joining Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively on free transfers. This leaves only 37-year-old Thiago Silva as someone who manager Thomas Tuchel can trust to play at centre-back, with the only other options at Tuchel’s disposal being Malang Sarr, Trevoh Chalobah and Ethan Ampadu – all players that are either out of favour or not experienced enough to be getting a 1st-team spot.

Therefore, it is imperative that Chelsea sign some defenders as the new season edges ever closer, and Matthijs de Ligt, who at 22 years of age has played nearly 300 games of football, is an experienced option that definitely strengthens the Blues’ squad.

*The odds of Matthijs de Ligt joining Chelsea are 2/1.

The Dutchman may choose to stay at his current club Juventus as they look to bounce back from serious domestic and European disappointment over the last few years, with manager Max Allegri looking to rebuild a squad that can once again challenge for Serie A as well as the Champions League.

Juventus haven’t won the Scudetto since 2020 and have been knocked out of the Champions League in embarrassing fashion by Villarreal, Porto, Lyon and Ajax over the last 4 seasons.

Change is needed at the Old Lady, and a strong transfer window is the first step in Juventus re-establishing themselves as a powerhouse in European football. While some big-name arrivals and departures will be necessary, perhaps one of Juventus’ smartest pieces of business could be in a player that they decide to keep – Matthijs de Ligt.

When Juventus signed 19-year-old de Ligt for a fee of around £67m 3 years ago, they did so with the intention of de Ligt being a player who would be part of a new generation at the club, with veterans Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci both getting on in age.

37-year-old Chiellini is getting closer to the end of his career, and because of this he's decided to make a move to LA FC in the MLS ahead of next season. Bonucci, 2 years younger at 35, will surely be thinking along the same lines as Chiellini in the near future.

De Ligt became Ajax’s youngest ever captain in March 2018, meaning he would have no problem taking the armband and leading Juventus in the absence of the iconic duo. Juventus should be keen to keep de Ligt anyway, because the Dutchman’s departure would leave Allegri with just Daniele Rugani as Allegri’s only other option in central defence.

*The odds of this deal occurring are currently at 5/2.

With his confirmation as Manchester United manager and the opening of the transfer window, Erik ten Hag has been looking to bring to Manchester some of the players who played under him when he was manager of Ajax.

Many players excelled under the Dutchman’s stewardship of Ajax, with players such as Frenkie de Jong, Donny van de Beek, Dusan Tadic and Matthijs de Ligt all bringing attention to themselves due to their superb form for Ajax.

The Dutchman has already tried to convince Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong to join his project in Manchester, with negotiations still ongoing, and another player that ten Hag may try to lure to Old Trafford is Matthijs de Ligt.

This may be because of the players currently in United’s ranks - Harry Maguire’s performances have made him a figure of ridicule ever since his big-money move from Leicester City, Raphael Varane failed to impress in his 1st season in English football, and Victor Lindelof has never been convincing as a starter.

Now although ten Hag has said that he is willing to give every player a chance in his 1st season, the current options available to him in central defence must not fill him with confidence. Therefore, he may look to bring in a player that he knows and, more importantly, trusts on the pitch, de Ligt could be that player.

*The odds of the Dutchman joining Erik ten Hag’s side are currently 20/1.

Pep Guardiola has won a stunning 4 Premier League titles during his time as Manchester City manager, one reason he has achieved this feat is because of his ability to constantly strengthen his squad by spending big every transfer window.

Indeed, Guardiola has made over £900m worth of signings since taking the City job in 2016, and he will surely add to that astronomical figure this summer.

City once again beat Liverpool to the Premier League title last season, but only by a point, and this is likely to have spooked Guardiola, who will be looking to go on a spending spree to ensure that Liverpool don’t get that close again.

One player that City could sign is defender Matthijs de Ligt, who would surely be a replacement for fellow Dutchman Nathan Ake, who has been heavily linked with a move away from the Etihad this summer. Ake made 14 league appearances and started just 10 times last season, playing only 920 minutes of football. Were Ake to leave, a replacement would be needed simply for squad depth, but if that replacement was de Ligt, then he would surely challenge the likes of Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias for a starting spot.

Competition for places is a good thing in a squad like City’s and a player like de Ligt, who possesses many characteristics that Guardiola likes in his centre-backs, would be a fantastic asset for Manchester City’s system.

*The odds of the centre-back joining Manchester City are 20/1.