Matthijs de Ligt Would Be Open to Juventus Transfer, Praises Cristiano Ronaldo

Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt has opened the door to a possible transfer to Juventus.

The Netherlands international is rated as one of the best prospects in football and has been linked with a number of high-profile sides, most notably Barcelona.

However, ahead of his team's showdown with Juventus in the UEFA Champions League, De Ligt said he may yet move to Turin, citing Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci as role models in an interview with Tuttosport (h/t AS):

"I really like [Giorgio] Chiellini, as he is one of the best defenders in the world. I also appreciate [Leonardo] Bonucci, so between them they are among the best centre-backs in Europe.

"I could join them at Juventus, but we'll see at the right moment. For now, I am focused on Ajax and not my future. My agent is taking care of that."

De Ligt also spoke about the challenge of going up against Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the all-time record goalscorer in the Champions League.

"Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world, and Juventus are stronger with him, but on the other hand it'd be fascinating to face off with him," the 19-year-old said. "I have already played against Ronaldo at international level and it was tough, but I have fond memories, as it was personally a positive game."

According to Sport, Barcelona have made an offer of €60 million (£52 million) for the defender already. They have already secured a deal to sign De Ligt's Ajax team-mate Frenkie de Jong at the end of the current campaign too.

Despite his age, De Ligt has long been considered one of the best defensive rising stars in the game, and he recently netted his first goal for his national team:

The Ajax Twitter account shared a clip of a wonderful goal the centre-back scored during an academy game for the club:

While there is a poise to his play when in possession, it's his defensive attributes that will have caught the eye of clubs like Barcelona and Juventus.

De Ligt is already positionally astute, often sweeping in at the opportune moment to take the ball from forwards. In addition, he's rarely bullied by centre-forwards, showcasing the appetite for physical battles that is key in elite defenders.

As WhoScored.com highlighted, he's effective when it comes to taking back the ball for his team:

After an impressive campaign in which he's helped Ajax into the quarter-finals of the Champions League, it would be a shock if the Dutch giants were able to keep hold of De Ligt for another season.

It will be intriguing to see how he fares against Ronaldo. Based on the reports, Barcelona seem to be in the driving seat to secure De Ligt's signature, although a couple of strong displays against the Bianconeri may trigger them into intensifying their interest.