Prized defender De Ligt undergoing medical with Juventus

Posted July 17, 2019 7:00 am

The Associated Press

TURIN, Italy (AP) - Matthijs de Ligt has undergone medical exams with Juventus ahead of an expected 70-million euro ($80 million) transfer from Ajax.

Juventus shared photos and videos on social media of De Ligt's arrival in Turin late Tuesday and of fans awaiting him outside the club's training facility when the Dutch defender showed up early Wednesday.

De Ligt is expected to sign a contract worth 8 million euros per season before being formally presented on Thursday.

The 19-year-old De Ligt was captain of the Ajax squad that reached the Champions League semifinals last season, having scored the winning goal against Juventus in the quarterfinals.

The highly regarded center back is set to join a veteran defense featuring Juventus stalwarts Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.

"For a defender, Italy is always ideal," Mino Raiola, De Ligt's agent, told reporters. "Great champions always work well together."

De Ligt is the latest arrival of a strong transfer market showing for the eight-time defending Serie A champions.

On Monday, midfielder Aaron Ramsey was presented by Juventus after joining from Arsenal on a four-year contract. Adrien Rabiot, another midfielder, switched over from Paris Saint-Germain, earlier this month, and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is also back after one season away at PSG.

Plus, with Cristiano Ronaldo entering his second season at Juventus, the Turin club is putting together a serious bid to win the Champions League.

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FILE - In this Friday, March 23, 2018 file photo, Matthijs de Ligt of the Netherlands runs back up the pitch during the international friendly soccer match between the Netherlands and England in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Defender Matthijs de Ligt is undergoing medical exams with Juventus ahead of an expected 70 million euros ($80 million) transfer from Ajax. Juventus shared photos and videos on social media of De Ligt's arrival in Turin late Tuesday then fans awaiting him outside the club's training facility when he showed up early Wednesday, July 17, 2019.(AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File) The Associated Press

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