Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri was reluctant to discuss the recent comments of Mino Raiola regarding his client Matthijs de Ligt.
Raiola revealed in an interview with Dutch media outlet NRC that he is “ready to make the next step” in his career. He speculated that his client’s next move could be to Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain or one of the Premier League giants.
Juventus, though, will not let De Ligt depart without a fight and the club will reportedly demand that any potential suitors pay the €150m release clause that comes into effect next summer. Raiola has been keen to renegotiate the Dutchman’s contract and lower this release clause to open up the possibility of a swift exit.
Whether De Ligt wants to leave Turin, however, remains unclear despite Raiola’s recent revelation.
Massimiliano Allegri comments on De Ligt’s situation
Unsurprisingly, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri was asked to comment on Raiola’s “next step” comments ahead of his side’s final game of 2021 against Cagliari.
“What do I have to say? Repeat the question? Or not answer?” Allegri said.
“The next step for Matthijs is in the next game. He has to score a goal,” he joked.
“I haven’t heard what Raiola said. Matthijs is improving, he played really well in Bologna, he is 22 and has great quality, he can only improve as any other player, from Dejan Kulusevski to Chiesa and Adrien Rabiot.
“The growth must be our target, then we’ll see what happens in the market,” the boss concluded.
De Ligt has gone from strength to strength this term after a difficult first two years in Turin. The young Dutchman signed from Ajax in 2019 with sky-high expectations as Juve paid €80m for his services.
Such expectations are yet to be satiated, but his consistent brilliance this term has many convinced that De Ligt is a future Juventus captain should he resist Raiola’s desires. The Bianconeri must retain the 22-year-old for the long haul.