Barcelona Transfers: Top 5 replacements for Gerard Pique
#3 Matthijs De Ligt of Juventus
Juventus star Matthijs De Ligt can be yet another potential replacement for Gerard Pique. Ever since his Ajax days, the Dutchman was linked with a potential move to Barcelona. His former teammate Frenkie De Jong did move to Barcelona after the 18/19 season but the defender chose to move to Italy and play for Juventus.
The center-back is currently 21 years old and he made his debut as a 16-year-old for Ajax. He led his team to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in the 18/19 season and for such a young defender and for such a youth-filled squad, it was a massive achievement. They lost the tie to Tottenham Hotspur and that was the end of their fairytale that season. But after a phenomenal campaign, the player was heavily linked with moves to Real Madrid and Barcelona but he ended up moving to the Old Lady with his agent quoting his desire to play regular minutes at his next club.
De Ligt had a pretty decent season with the Italian side but struggled with the Netherlands squad as they made an exit from the competition after losing to the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals after De Ligt received a red card for a silly tackle. However, a patch of bad form and mentality does not define a player, what defines a player is his ability to come back to the very top. Barcelona would be an ideal place for him to thrive and it won’t be surprising to anyone if he does make the move in the next few seasons.
The 21-year-old is brilliant at slide tackling, man-marking and he’s a major aerial threat. He’s brilliant at backtracking and covering lost ground while defending counterattacks. He is also very good at irritating the opposition with his constant pressing and aims for perfection. He’s obviously different from Gerard Pique but he would be a massive addition to this Barcelona team and he would be a huge upgrade considering the players they currently have in the team.
The only issue for Barca is that De Ligt will not be very cheap and one can expect the same with Pau Torres and Aymeric Laporte. These are well-established center-backs in world football and Barcelona are not the only one interested in signing them. They’re brilliant gems and the teams they are at now will not let them go without a fight. Matthijs De Ligt would be a major signing for the Catalans, it would be extremely good for both parties given the presence of a Dutch coach and teammates. The Dutchman will get a place to have a fresh start to his career and the club will get a young defender filled with potential and longevity.