Matthijs de Ligt 'Agreed PSG Move' With Former Director But Leonardo Refuses to Finalise Deal
Matthijs de Ligt's future has been the subject of intense speculation this summer, but a report from Italy has claimed that he actually had agreed a deal with Paris Saint-Germain, only for new sporting director Leonardo to rescind the offer at the last minute.
In early June, PSG were thought to have moved well ahead in the race for De Ligt's signature, but the move failed to materialise, with Juventus now said to be in the driving seat after offering a €12m-a-year contract.
Now, the journalist who broke the initial news, Gianluca Di Marizio, has offered an update (via Guillaume Maillard-Pacini) on De Ligt's proposed move to PSG. Di Marzio claims that PSG had actually agreed a deal with former director Antero Henrique but, after he was replaced by Leonardo, the deal collapsed.
Leonardo is said to have declined to offer the same terms as Henrique, with De Ligt's agent Mino Raiola doubting whether a move to Paris would be in his client's best interests.
With no agreement as of yet, Mundo Deportivo claim that De Ligt has not ruled out any of his options. He is aware that this could be one of the most important decisions of his life, and does not want to rush into anything which he may later regret.
As a result, a move to long-term admirers Barcelona is still a possibility, despite the Blaugrana seemingly falling behind in recent weeks.
The possibility to play alongside Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique and Frenkie de Jong is thought to be an intriguing proposal for De Ligt, even if Barcelona refuse to offer the same salary as either PSG or Juventus.
Mundo Deportivo add that De Ligt actually met with Pique whilst the pair were both on holiday in the Bahamas. Whilst the topic of their discussion is unknown, it will certainly fuel talk of a potential switch to Camp Nou.
However, PSG's salary and promise of silverware still remains an exciting thought for De Ligt, as does the chance to become a champion under Maurizio Sarri with Juventus. For now, he will continue to weigh up all his options before reaching a decision.