Barcelona offered the services of 22-year-old Juventus ace

According to a report from Daily Mirror via Fichajes, Barcelona have been once again offered the services of their former transfer target Matthijs de Ligt.

The former Ajax captain made headlines for weeks at a stretch in 2019 when several of Europe’s elite lined up to acquire his signature. The youngster emphatically led the young Amsterdam based team to a semifinal finish in the Champions League and the Eredivisie whilst still a teenager.

Barcelona were very close to signing the centre-back in the same window they signed his teammate Frenkie de Jong. However, Juventus eventually won the race and acquired his services for a royal fee.

Yet, the player’s agent is said to be unhappy with the way the youngster is being treated at Turin. De Ligt has found it difficult to even start at the club, with several centre-backs in competition for the starting spots. As such, Raiola has offered his services to three clubs — Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City.

It is not known if this is a tactic to attract a better contract from Juventus or whether the player would be open to a change in scenery. However, Barcelona would be interested in his signing nonetheless.

The centre-back position has been a complex problem to solve for Koeman. A combination of injuries, suspensions and poor form always leaves the manager with very few options to start at the heart of the defence.

Barcelona have been exploring the market for a central defender for a while now. One of the names linked is Antonio Rudiger from Chelsea. While De Ligt would be a splendid signing, it remains to be seen if Barcelona have the economic leverage to pull off the deal.