Mino Raiola: Matthijs de Ligt is ready to leave Juventus

Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt is ready to leave Juventus, according to agent Mino Raiola.

The Dutchman signed for the Bianconeri for a huge £67.5m off the back of an incredible season with Ajax back in 2019. De Ligt endured initial acclimatisation issues in Turin, but there’s no doubting that he’s starting to find his feet at the club in his third season.

The centre-half has enjoyed a fine campaign under Massimiliano Allegri thus far with only Wojciech Szczesny, Leonardo Bonucci and Manuel Locatelli earning more Serie A minutes for the Old Lady.

His importance to Allegri’s side is becoming clear, and he was excellent in Juve’s recent 2-0 victory over Bologna.

However, agent Raiola decided to throw a spanner in the works on Sunday as he spoke to Dutch media outlet NRC.

De Ligt is ready to leave Juventus

Raiola has teased De Ligt’s departure from Turin for some time now, although the defender has always appeared content at the club. However, Raiola’s recent comments will certainly concern Juventus supporters.

According to the NRC reporter who conducted the interview (via Fabrizio Romano): “Raiola lets it be known that Matthijs de Ligt, Juventus defender, is ‘ready for a new step’ and ‘he [De Ligt] thinks that too’”.

Raiola has previously said that his client “could leave Juventus at the end of the season”, but anything that comes out of the super agent’s month has to be taken with a pinch of salt – even the latest revelation. There’s a possibility that he’s merely up to his old tricks again in order to gain more leverage in potential contract negotiations with the club.

Chelsea and Manchester City have loosely been linked with the defender, as have the stricken Barcelona, and should De Ligt decide he wants to leave the club next summer, Juventus will garner a huge fee amid times of financial strife for the club.

Still, finding a buyer who’ll meet the Bianconeri’s likely demands will be tough.