Manchester United and Manchester City are interested in Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt, as per Calciomercato.it.
The defender’s deal runs down in 2024 and it includes a €120m release clause valid for this summer. The Serie A side are trying to extend his contract and have made an offer to him.
Juve’s proposal would see the 22-year-old take a pay cut as his annual salary will drop from €12m to €7.5m including bonuses, but no progress has been made on the renewal front for the time being.
The centre-back, meanwhile, has attracted interest from both Manchester United and Manchester City, with it claimed the local rivals have taken ‘first concrete step’ by making first contact with his entourage.
The Old Lady, for their part, will need an offer in excess of €70m to sit at the negotiation table for De Ligt.
It’s possible Manchester United and Manchester City are being used to put pressure on Juve to improve their offer, considering the chances of the Dutchman ending up in Manchester are slim.
Last month, City’s Khaldoon al-Mubarak stressed his side are looking for two more players in the ongoing window. It could be a midfielder to replace Fernandinho and a new left-back.
As for Manchester United, a move to Old Trafford may not be top of De Ligt’s list, considering Erik ten Hag’s side will not play in the Champions League next season.
De Ligt had expressed his disappointment over Juve’s fourth place finish in the two terms and hinted the sporting project will play a key role when deciding his long-term future.
