Report: Manchester City are preparing to rival Liverpool for a £190k-a-week player

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Manchester City are prepared to join the race for Matthijs de Ligt, according to reports. Liverpool supposedly want the player.

This comes from 90min. They claim that Manchester City are ‘long-term admirers’ of Matthijs de Ligt and are deciding whether to get involved for him.

That comes as De Ligt’s future is plunged into serious doubt. His contract with Juventus expires in 2024 and while they want him to sign a new one, it would have to be on reduced terms. De Ligt currently earns around £190k per week, according to Calciomercato. However, the player doesn’t like that idea and would only agree to it if they reduced his release clause.

Juventus are yet to put such an offer to De Ligt and that has him considering his future. His value will drop in 2023, too, as he enters the final year of his deal – this could be the ideal time to sell him.

Thus City could get involved, while Manchester United are also on the verge. The report mentions Chelsea as a potential destination, too.

Manchester City look at Matthjis de Ligt

The report stops short, however, of saying that De Ligt has a transfer request. That contradicts Corriere Dello Sport, who believe he has made that step and is pushing to move this summer.

This is all on the back of a string of reports saying that Liverpool want De Ligt. Tuttomercatoweb, Calciomercato, and Corrire dello Sport have all said as much in recent weeks.

What’s clear, though, is that this would be a very difficult transfer as clubs lineup for De Ligt. While there are obvious benefits to Liverpool – a partnership with Ibrahima Konaté being one of them – we can see the figures getting out of hand here.

So we won’t hold our collective breath on this one. De Ligt is a fantastic player but a luxury signing for Liverpool – and one that they won’t make in 2022. We’ll see if he’s still available next year.