Bayern sign Dutch defender De Ligt from Juventus

Soccer Football – Serie A – Cagliari v Juventus – Sardegna Arena, Cagliari, Italy – April 9, 2022 Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Alberto Lingria/File Photo

July 19 (Reuters) – Bayern Munich have signed Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus until 2027, the German Bundesliga champions announced on Tuesday.

Juve say the centre-back was signed for €67m ($68.55m), increasing by a potential €10m depending on performance-related bonuses.

“De Ligt was a priority target for us. With signings like this, the big goals we have are achievable,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said in a statement.

“The future face of our team is increasingly taking shape, and this transfer is a cornerstone of the overall concept that we are gradually putting in place. De Ligt should become a pillar of FC Bayern.”

De Ligt joined Juve in 2019 after helping Ajax Amsterdam reach an unlikely Champions League semi-final.

In Turin, he won a Serie A title, the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa in his three seasons with the club, finishing a campaign without a trophy only once – last season.

“I felt from the start the real appreciation of the sports management, the coach and the board, which convinced me,” said De Ligt.

“On top of that, FC Bayern is a brilliantly run club with big goals. I’m very happy to be part of FC Bayern history now.”

The 22-year-old already has 38 caps for the Netherlands and leaves Juventus short of options in central defence, with veteran Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini also leaving at the end of the season.

There have been big changes this season at Bayern, with Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, second on their all-time goalscoring list, moving to Barcelona in a deal worth 45million. euros.

Senegal striker Sadio Mane has been brought in as a Liverpool replacement, with De Ligt the latest high-profile arrival in Bavaria.

($1 = 0.9773 euros)

Reporting by Peter Hall; Editing by Nick Macfie and Pritha Sarkar

Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.