£103m release clause: Man Utd now leading race to sign 'monster' likened to Ronaldo - report

Manchester United and Chelsea are thought to be in pole position to sign Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt.

De Ligt, who Italian football expert Carlo Garganese described as an ‘absolute monster’ after ‘physically bullying (Andrea) Belotti’ in a match against city rivals Torino, has recently been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have reportedly taken ‘concrete steps with the defender’s entourage’ but are yet to make an official offer. Erik ten Hag knows all about De Ligt after working with him at Ajax before he signed for Juve in a deal worth £76.95m in 2019.

Sports Witness relayed an update from Corriere dello Sport regarding De Ligt on Friday.

They claimed that De Ligt has asked to move on this summer, with United and Chelsea ‘ready to intervene’ and ‘in pole position’ to secure his services.

De Ligt reportedly has a €120m (£103m) release clause, something which Juventus would expect to be met.

De Ligt is still just 22 years of age but already has plenty of experience at the highest level for club and country, with former United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar even likening him to Cristiano Ronaldo for his mentality and application in the gym.

You’d expect that Ten Hag may want to strengthen his defensive ranks after a leaky 2021/22 season, so bringing in De Ligt would certainly be an eye-catching move and one that could transform United’s backline.

It looks as if it could be a costly one, though, and with Chelsea firmly in the race, any interested club may have to pay his £103m release clause.

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