Barcelona had a relatively quiet transfer market last season, a lot of the older players left but not much was added back as reinforcement. Joan Laporta, the Catalan’s current president is looking to change that and their new transfer season has started off with a bang. The Blaugrana have already confirmed the signing of three players, and the number will only go up in the coming weeks.
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One place where the Catalans suffered last season was their defense. Although they found two brilliant products from the B team, Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza, they are not consistent enough as they have not played proper top-level football before. These players will need at least one more season to show their true potential however, Barcelona need a proper center-back right now.
With their current experienced center-backs all out of form or getting ready to hang up the boots, this is the perfect time to revitalize the position completely. They already have young players such as Araujo, Mingueza, and Eric Garcia, now they need an experienced player to lead them.
This is where Matthijs de Ligt comes in. The Juventus defender has already been linked with Barcelona before and he has once again perked up their interest this year. While the player himself is still dedicated to the club, Juve might be willing to sell him for the right amount. Here are five reasons why to sell underperforming players like Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet for De Ligt.
1. Longevity
One of the main reasons why the Catalans should try to sell both of their underperforming center-backs for just one center-back, De Ligt, is because of his age. The Turin star is only 21 years of age and he is already an experienced player. The former Ajax man also has already won two league trophies at such a young age and he will only improve with time.
Umtiti, on the other hand, is 27 years of age however, he has not been able to bring back his 2018 world cup winning form and he has just been a liability for Barcelona. Lenglet is also not that old, only 25; however, he has also not been consistent for the Catalans and in such a vital position, consistency is the key. Thus, De Ligt can not only mentor the other youngsters, but he can also give a lot of years to the club.
2. Winner in two leagues
De Ligt along with former teammate, Frenkie de Jong, had one of their best seasons in the Eredivisie in 2018/19. Not only did they have a fairy tale run in the UEFA Champions League of that season, but they also finished first in their league.
It was a hard-fought season with PSV however, Ajax came out on top and two of their best players, De Jong and De Ligt were sold. While Frenkie decided to go to Barcelona, Matthijs decided to play for the Old Lady instead, although he did have the option to join Frenkie. This turned out to be the right decision as Juventus went on to win yet another Serie A title while Barcelona went trophyless. Thus De Ligt at such a young age already has two league titles under his name and if he moves to Barcelona, he could very well have a third different league title.
3. Experience in the top level
Matthijs may just be 21 years of age, but he has already garnered a ton of experience from Ajax as well as from Juventus. After a magical season with the Dutch side in 2018, he decided to move to Turin and join the likes of Paulo Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The center-back ended up playing 39 games in his first season with the club and he even managed to lift the Scudetto. In his next season, he played fewer games due to a shoulder injury and then being affected by the coronavirus. This shows us that even through injury, he has managed to make almost a hundred appearances for one of Europe’s most elite clubs.
He may not have been a hundred percent fit however, if he was, he would have played the entire season. He can easily play for a club like Barcelona after two years at Juventus however, his responsibilities will be bigger as he will be expected to guide the younger, less experienced players.
4. Easily fit into the team
With a Dutch manager at the helm of the club and his old teammate, Frenkie de Jong, as one of the most important players of the club, De Ligt should not have many problems fitting into the team. The Dutch connection will help him settle into the club initially however, should the Catalans make the transfers of Memphis Depay official, then De Ligt will be as comfortable as he is back home. Koeman is trying to bring in all the players he has worked with before in order to make an efficient team with good chemistry and bringing in De Ligt would do wonders to that plan.
5. Open up a new chapter for Umtiti and Lenglet
Although Barcelona will benefit a lot from the sale of Umtiti and Lenglet, the players will not suffer too much either. Umtiti has not been able to show his true form since 2018 and he needs a new chapter in his professional career. The Barcelona team are reportedly fed up with his injuries and Umtiti will benefit a lot by shifting to a team which will care about him. Similarly, Lenglet has failed to reach his true potential at Catalonia and maybe it is time for him to change the scenarios a bit. Both the players have been performing well below their level and they will not suffer from a change in clubs. A new chapter can start for the club as well as for the players departing from the club.
Do you think Barca should sell both veterans to fund De Ligt?