Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 00:13• Jeroen van Poppel

Matthijs de Ligt is happy that Juventus still attracted a real replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo in the winter transfer period. The 22-year-old defender is happy with the arrival of Dusan Vlahovic, who started well in Turin with four goals in six matches. “That’s honestly no surprise to me, because I played against him this year,” De Ligt responds in Rondo†

At the time, Vlahovic was still wearing the uniform of Fiorentina, who sold him to Juve in January for 75 million euros. “We won 1-0 and it was an exciting game,” recalls De Ligt. “Then I was against him the whole game and then I noticed how strong he is, how good he is technically. What particularly appealed to me and what I also noticed in the game is that he is so driven to score a goal. He also scolded teammates a bit if he didn’t get the ball. You just need someone like that in the front, he really makes the difference there.”

Juventus is having an extremely difficult season and that, according to De Ligt, cannot be seen separately from Ronaldo’s summer departure to Manchester United. “You miss thirty goals a season, that also brought us the Champions League. The criticism here was that he would let the team play less or not do enough in the pressure, but if you have someone who makes that much difference that’s what I like.” He left late in the transfer window, so we couldn’t get someone like Vlahovic back for it. We missed that.”

De Ligt is undisputed in the base and feels his role in the team growing. “I think I will also be taking big steps in that this season. I notice that the club is giving me more and more responsibility. That is also due to the injuries of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, who are suffering from this this year. there is even more pressure on my shoulders. I really like that myself. It is certainly something that should and can be done more in your third year. I am certainly working on that.”

In Rondo De Ligt is also asked about the statements of his agent Mino Raiola, who Studio Football said the defender “will be ready for another step” next summer. De Ligt does not want to say much about it. “I’m having a good time and learning more every week. What Mino said in the winter was already three months ago. So much can change in three months, at the moment I am fully focused on this season.”