Matthijs de Ligt officially signed a contract with Turin's Juventus team on Thursday. The Italian champions paid €75 million to Amsterdam's Ajax team for his transfer, which could later increase to more than €85 million.
The 19-year-old Dutch national team defender explained why he chose the offer from Turin's Juventus when bidding farewell to Ajax.
"Since childhood, I was fascinated by the way Italians work in defense and the teams of this country.
Most of my idols were Italians as well: Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Alessandro Nesta, Fabio Cannavaro, and Gaetano Scirea. When it comes to the best defenders, you often hear these names.
To be honest, I fell in love with the Italian defensive work, and it had a huge impact on my decision," said M. de Ligt officially to the Ajax club's website.
The defender also stated that the decision to leave his childhood team was very difficult.
"It was really hard to decide. There were several options, but you always have to look at what suits you best personally.
Several factors were important. It is very important for me to know how much time I will spend on the field and feel the club's trust.
"Juventus" has mentioned several times that they really want me. This club sees a place for me in their future and can help me improve further," added the defender.
