Matthijs de Ligt: Juventus sign defender from Ajax in a £67.5m deal

De Ligt scored the winner for Ajax against Juventus in the Champions League quarter-finals last season

Italian champions Juventus have completed the £67.5m signing of 19-year-old Dutch international defender Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax.

De Ligt, who had also been linked with Manchester United, Barcelona and Paris St-Germain, has signed a five-year contract with the Serie A side.

Juventus said the fee was "payable in five financial years" with "additional costs of 10.5m euros (£9m)".

De Ligt helped Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals last season.

He made his debut for the Amsterdam club in 2016 and became their youngest captain in March 2018.

De Ligt scored eight goals in 77 league appearances, winning the Dutch domestic league and cup double last season, as well as reaching a Europa League final in 2017.

He scored the winning goal against Juve to send Ajax through to the Champions League semi-finals last season, where they lost to Tottenham.

The defender made his debut for the Netherlands in March 2017, having started only two league games for Ajax at the time.

De Ligt joined Ajax as a nine-year-old

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