Barcea must move on from De Ligt saga

Photo by Filipe Amorim/NurPhoto via Getty Images

There are positives to take from missing out on the Ajax captain

I am not known to be a jealous person, but I will say that Juventus’ recent acquisition of Matthijs de Ligt has made me as envious as the only teen on the block without the newest and latest iPhone.

And, what’s even worse was the high hopes Barcelona fans had heading into this summer transfer market. Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu played us all. He made us believe the young, skilful and full of personality, Ajax leader and captain was close to reaching a deal with the Catalans.

❗ Bartomeu: “I know where De Ligt will play next season. I have said this for a long time and I still know where he will play next season.” pic.twitter.com/LI6sNTzCZQ

— AFC Ajax (@TheEuropeanLad) July 5, 2019

On two occasions, Bartomeu claimed he knew exactly what would happen to De Ligt’s future, dropping hints his new home would be Camp Nou alongside Lionel Messi and Co., but he had us all fooled.

The 19-year-old, who led the Dutch giants to the Champions League semi-finals last season has completed a move to the Serie A champions for a fee of €75 million plus €10.5m in “additional costs.” The deal was announced on Thursday and one word that can sum up his signing with Juventus is: jealousy.

LIGTS | Matthijs de Ligt officially signs for Juventus! ✍️⚪⚫

https://t.co/dWhtEdSULz #TURNDELIGTON #LiveAhead pic.twitter.com/1xrVIFqSBy

— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) July 18, 2019

De Ligt would have been the perfect man for the job. He is a beast on the field, and has Carles Puyol’s grit injected in his blood. Yet despite this upset, we shouldn’t dwell on the past, instead let’s focus on the fact that his move to Italy means Jean-Clair Todibo has a legit chance of breaking through and becoming an important figure in Barca’s backline. It also means that Samuel Umtiti’s likelihood of reestablishing his role in the team after his injury woes last season are higher than ever.

Although, we lost the battle to get De Ligt’s autograph, a player that would have been an excellent addition to the team, there are still many positives heading into this season with the main one being De Ligt’s Dutch compatriot Frenkie de Jong. Despite our board’s failure to sign the exceptional defender, let’s indulge on our new signing, De Jong, the man who is expected to take Barcelona to new heights.

Source: barcablaugranes.com