Barcelona struggled at the beginning of the current season, losing unexpected matches and having a slow start to La Liga 2020/21. Ronald Koeman‘s boys had an amazing recovery, though, which enabled them to lift the Copa del Rey andbecominga serious challenger for the domestic league as well. Still, the Blaugranas are already working to improve their team for the next campaign, and asides from being focused on landing Sergio Aguero while renewing Lionel Messi‘s contract,a Juventus star would be on their plans.
Being crowned in the Spanish first division would be a great way for the Cules to finish their first season under the Dutch manager, and it may also heal the wounds for all the ups and downs theyhave suffered so far. Following some poor months in which claiming silverware seemed very unlikely, if they end up collecting two titles, satisfaction would be huge.
Nevertheless, the Catalans will be expected to do better in the future. Underspecial circumstancesthis season, in which Lionel Messi was about to leave, after a certain squad restructuration by releasing big names and with the arrival of a new coach, it was accepted that the year would be tough. However, from now on Barca will have no excuses. Joan Laporta knows it and that’s whybig names are being liked with the club.
Juventus’ young star calls the attention of Barcelona
Among the positions where Barca would need improvement, the defense is without a doubt the first place to take care of. Many of the Blaugranas‘ problems in recent years happenedat the back, and the continuous mistakes proved that it wasn’t a matter of time or practice. A new player was needed for that position.
de Ligt could be an option to upgrade Barca’s defense (Getty).
According to Sport, Barcelona are very interested in Juventus and Netherlands center-backMatthijs de Ligt. The Dutch earned worldwide recognition when performing for Ajax in an outstanding 2018/19 season where his team reached the UEFA Champions League semifinals. Following those breathtaking appearances, the Italian giants purchased him for about $94 million.
Despite his first season inSerie A didn’t turn out as expected, de Ligt earned a spot in the starting eleven and became a regular starter for the Vecchia Signora. The 21-year-old is probably one of the most promising players in his position, and according to TransferMartk, his market value is $82.50 million.
Koeman coached him when he was in charge of the Netherlands national team, and while the Blaugranas are also linked to a move for Eric García, the addition of the Juventus center-back would mean another great call for the long term.
de Ligt could join Eric Garcia in the Cules’ defense (Getty).
With Gerard Piqué reaching the last years of his career and after current options such as Clement Lenglet or Samuel Umtiti have failed to convince, two young, talented options like García and de Ligt may providethe solution for many seasons to come. While the Manchester City player would be an easier choice as his contract expires in a few months, signing the Dutch could require a much higher economic effort. It won’t be easy,but there are reasons to believe de Ligt could be eager to play under Koeman once again and to be part of Barcelona’s reconstruction.
