SHARE

Something had been missing in the Matthijs De Ligt saga.

All the top clubs of Europe have been linked with the Ajax defender, who is set to leave the Netherlands this summer.

Barcelona thought they’d got the signing all sewn up, Liverpool were linked, Manchester United were at one stage claimed to be close, then it was Barca again, before PSG took over, and now he’s somewhere in the middle of all of those, with Juventus also appearing.

But where were Real Madrid? Well, they don’t really need a new central defender, especially after signing Eder Militao from FC Porto.

That’s never stopped a rumour, though, and RMC bring one today.

They claim that ‘in recent hours’, Real Madrid have come forward to find out information, wanting to know if De Ligt has committed elsewhere. There’s a possibility they could swoop and snatch the player.

RMC also insists that despite claims otherwise, Barcelona haven’t withdrawn from the race.

Now why would Madrid come forward? Who could be leaving? This gives the potential for plenty of claims, the first one likely to be Raphael Varane being offered as part of a Paul Pogba deal.