Matthijs De Ligt has a release clause in his contract worth €150 million, valid from the summer of 2022, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The clause was negotiated when he joined Juventus after the 18/19 season with Ajax where the Dutch club progressed into the semifinals of the competition by defeating Real Madrid and Juventus in the knockout stages. His agent, Mino Raiola, recently spoke in Italy about the future of his client and whether or not he will stay at Juventus for the long term.
Raiola also mentioned that AC Milan centre-back Alessio Romagnoli could end up joining Juventus next summer. However, the situation with De Ligt will be key in deciding how Juventus go about their business surrounding the centre-back position.
Juventus hope to continue with De Ligt for the long term, since he is one of the best young centre-backs in the world at 22. Also, it is difficult to see any club in the world paying €150 million for the player, especially given the financial problems posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
His salary is also very high considering the post-pandemic situation, and Juventus themselves are finding it difficult to keep up with his payments. The player is yet to establish himself as an undisputed starter for the Old Lady, since Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini are still at the top of their game despite being well into their thirties.
However, he is still young and has a lot of potential. De Ligt remains Ajax’s youngest captain, having taken the armband at 18, and has shown that he can compete at the top level when needed.
