"We don’t have a hitman who can score 30 goals per season" - Matthijs de Ligt says Juventus have missed Cristiano Ronaldo since the start of the season
Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt has admitted that the club have missed the services of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Netherlands international was speaking to Sky Italia after Juventus defeated Udinese 2-0 on home turf.
Despite the win, coach Masimiliano Allegri admitted that the team lacked maturity and experience and De Ligt agreed with his manager's take.
“I heard the coach said that and I understand what he means, because we do have a lot of young players.”
He added:
“I am young too, at least in terms of age, but I have already played about 250 games at senior level, so have some experience. You mature faster the more games you play."
Juventus have also struggled in front of goal this season, with Paulo Dybala currently being the club's highest goalscorer in the league with seven strikes. By contrast, Ciro Immobile leads the way at the summit of the Golden Boot race with 17 goals.
The Bianconeri had last year's winner of the Capocannoniere in Cristiano Ronaldo. His 29 league goals saw finish as the Serie A top scorer last term.
His departure to Manchester United saw the Turin side fail to replace his goals and it is an area where De Ligt believes the club are presently struggling.
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Asked on whether Cristiano Ronaldo's presence in attack is being missed, the 22-year-old said:
“I think so, yes. Cristiano is the kind of player who goes into the box and will always get a goal, he rarely wastes an opportunity. We have missed that since the start of the season. We don’t have a hitman who can score 30 goals per season, but we do need to contribute goals from everyone and everywhere, which is starting to happen now.”
Juventus currently sit in fifth spot in the table, eight points behind table-toppers Inter Milan, who have two games in hand.
How have Juventus and Cristiano Ronaldo fared since parting ways last summer
Juventus sent shockwaves around the world when they completed a mega deal to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid in 2018.
The Madeira native unsurprisingly went on to write his name in the record books at Turin before completing an emotional return to Manchester United last summer.
Given his track record at Old Trafford, the transfer marked a full-circle trajectory for his career and United instantly saw positivity return to the club.
However, things have hardly gone to plan, with managerial upheaval and inconsistency still a problem at the club.
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This has led to reports that Ronaldo is not happy at the club and is already reportedly seeking a route out.
His former club Juventus have hardly fared better. A disastrous start to the campaign has seen them fall off the pace early on in their quest to wrestle the title back from Inter.
Things have stabilized a little in Turin but they are still a long way off the expected standards and currently find themselves in a battle to secure a top four finish.