De Ligt gives a strong hint to join Juventus, Lazio midfielder revealed he wants Real Madrid to sign him and more Serie A news: 1 April 2019
Hello and welcome to the Serie A news and rumours of the day! Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories of the day surrounding the Italian league.
De Ligt offers a strong hint for Juventus
Ajax's most wanted star Matthijs de Ligt has revealed that he could go for the Old Lady as his next destination and heaps praise for several of the Old Lady's star. The sensational defender has been linked by numerous clubs including Barcelona which has given the strongest interest to date.
However, Juventus are also one of the favorites to sign the Dutchman as they will face Ajax in the Champions League quarterfinals.
“Juventus are a great team. We believe in our chances of qualifying for the Champions League semi-finals because we are young and have less pressure on our shoulders,” he said.
The starlet praised Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of their Champions League clash.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world and Juventus are stronger with him, but on the other hand it’d be fascinating to face off with him. I already played against Ronaldo at international level and it was tough, but I have fond memories, as it was personally a positive game. Plus we’ve got Tadic, our own CR7.”
De Ligt admitted he is a big fan of Italian football and reveal that Juventus duo Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonnuci are one of the best in the world.
“I really like Chiellini, as he is one of the best defenders in the world. I also appreciate Bonucci, so between them they are among the best centre-backs in Europe.
“For a young player like me, they are both examples to be inspired by. I am pleased with comparisons to Alessandro Nesta and Jaap Stam, as they were top players, but I have a long way to go in order to reach their level.
“Nesta was a fantastic defender and I also watch videos of Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini. The Italian school of defending was always the best.”
De Ligt was also asked if he could join Chiellini and Bonucci in Turin.
“It could be, but there are other clubs interested too. We’ll see at the right moment, but now I am focused on Ajax and not my future. My agent Mino Raiola is taking care of that.
“I met Raiola in January 2017 and he said he wanted me with him because he admired me and had a lot of faith in my potential. I already knew of his important reputation, thought about it for a bit and then accepted. I am very happy with my decision.”