Report: Golden Boy winner hands in a transfer request after several claims that Liverpool want him

Matthijs de Ligt has put in a transfer request, according to reports. This comes after weeks of links with Liverpool.

Corriere dello Sport makes the claim. They believe that Matthijs de Ligt has asked for a transfer after reaching an impasse over his Juventus future.

De Ligt sees his deal expire in 2024, while he sits on the biggest wage at Juventus. The club wish to extend his stay – but with a paycut – and the Dutchman would only agree to that if they reduce his £100m release clause.

But Juve haven’t put anything like that on the table. De Ligt now wants to move somewhere new this summer, rather than prolong his stay with a club that isn’t happy with him. Especially when they’d likely push for a sale themselves in 2023.

The report names both Manchester United and Chelsea as leading the race here. Liverpool, though, have seen several links with De Ligt over recent weeks. Tuttomercatoweb, Calciomercato, and Corrire dello Sport all reported that the Reds like the player and would bring him to Anfield if possible.

This transfer request might make things more difficult, however.

We think there’s wonderful potential at Liverpool for De Ligt. The immediate partnership with Virgil van Dijk is an easy one to see, while a long-term pairing with Ibrahima Konaté could be absolutely sensational.

The problem is that Liverpool already have four elite centre-backs and simply don’t have room for De Ligt right now. In a year? Maybe – it depends on Joel Matip and Joe Gomez. Those two will face decisions over their futures in 2023, with the former moving through his 30s and the latter needing to establish a place in the side again.

Thus moving in a year would suit everyone at Liverpool and make pushing for De Ligt much easier. If he wants to move now, though, we don’t see how the Reds could really get involved.