Ajax wonderkid Matthijs De Ligt admitted that he may be looking for a new experience after it was reported that Tottenham had tabled a huge bid to sign him.
It was reported by Tutto Mercato Web on Tuesday that Spurs tabled a bid worth £48million for the Netherlands international, but it is thought that the Amsterdam giants want closer to the £52million mark.
De Ligt hinted that he could prefer a switch to the Italian giants Juventus, as opposed to joining the Premier League, with Spurs reportedly heavily interested.
“Ready for a different experience? Maybe, yes. I don’t know. I like to play at high levels,” De Ligt told Goal.
“[Juventus are] a club with a big history, many trophies and very good players.”
OPINION
Matthijs De Ligt is a promising talent, and his sturdy and consistent play at the heart of Ajax’s defence last season has shown that he could be ready for a big transfer. Should Tottenham get the deal over the line, it would see the 18-year-old pair up with former teammate Davinson Sanchez, who joined Spurs from Ajax last Summer. However, Juventus are now also lacking defensive cover, having seen Stephan Lichtsteiner move to Arsenal yesterday. The Dutchman’s cryptic responses surrounding his future and the Turin based outfit indicate that this could be his preferred destination, who need defensive stability having lost both Lichtsteiner and Leonardo Bonucci, two of their previous regular starters, within one year. This current transfer market has blown any hopes of securing the talented centre-half on a cheap deal, and it has been reported that Ajax will want over £50million; so Daniel Levy will have to act fast and put his hand in his pocket if he is to steal De Ligt from the competition.