Football fans were baffled to see Matthijs De Ligt join Juventus when reports from all over the world suggested that the Dutch defender was ready to sign a contract with Barcelona. Today, a report by Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo has shed light on the reasons why this deal did not take place.
According to the Spanish-based newspaper, De Ligt and his agent Mino Raiola had already agreed terms with Los Blaugranas over the fee they would have to pay Ajax for the transfer, but there was one major hurdle during all negotiations: the player's wage.
When Raiola sat down with Barcelona execs to discuss this deal, he reportedly asked Catalan execs to hand him a better weekly salary than that assigned to Gerard Piqué and Jordi Alba. Piqué, an 11-year veteran with Los Blaugranas, earns a bit over $204,000 weekly with the La Liga champions, while Alba, who has spent seven years with the Catalan club, collects a $124,000 wage weekly.
These wage demands cooled off Barcelona's interest in the player, who would have only earned less money than Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez if his demands were met.
Once De Ligt was snubbed by Barcelona, Juventus and Manchester United stepped up to offer De Ligt the kind of deal he was looking for. According to the Spanish newspaper, Juventus won the race due to the fact that they will be playing in the UEFA Champions League.
De Ligt's first match with Juventus ended in disappointment, as he scored an own goal against Inter in the International Champions Cup.
