Barcelona defensive target wants to leave club at the end of the season

Barcelona have been long-time admirers of Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt. The 22-year-old was on the Catalans’ radar back in 2019 right before he opted to move to Juventus.

Links to a move to Camp Nou have continued to do the rounds since, with the rumours picking up further steam this month after de Ligt’s agent, Mino Raiola, confirmed that the Netherlands star is looking for an exit at the end of the season.

Now, journalist Giacomo Iacobellis has reaffirmed those claims, stating that de Ligt indeed is looking for a way out of the Allianz Stadium in the summer transfer window.

This has alerted Barça, who are now considering making a move for the former AFC Ajax skipper. The update from Iacobellis also claims that the defender himself likes the option of joining the Catalan giants should he get the chance to leave Juve in the summer.

However, the Blaugrana will not have it easy in their pursuit of the 22-year-old as teams from the Premier League, in particular, Chelsea, are also very much keen on signing him. Furthermore, de Ligt also comes with a massive release clause worth €120 million, which would be difficult for Barcelona to meet.

De Ligt has proven himself at the highest level over the past four years and at just 22, has his entire career in front of him. Adding someone like the Netherlands star to partner up with Ronald Araujo would sort Barcelona’s defence for years, as Gerard Pique gets closer to calling time on his career.

The release clause amount and competition from the cash-rich Premier League clubs could make the task harder for Barça, though, given their financial difficulties. With Joan Laporta also keen on signing a marquee striker in the summer, the possibility of a move for de Ligt looks slim as things stand.