Juventus have reportedly rejected a renewed attempt from Barcelona to prise away Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt from Turin. Barcelona had been heavily linked with a move from the former Ajax centre-back in 2018 before De Ligt, then a 19-year-old teenage sensation, opted to sign for Juventus in a record 75 million Euros deal. La Liga hopefuls Barcelona wanted Ajax duo Frenkie de Jong and De Ligt to join the club in a double blockbuster deal in the summer of 2018-19. But while de Jong arrived at Camp Nou, De Ligt moved to Serie A with Juventus. Cristiano Ronaldo Lauds Juventus Women’s Team for Winning Their Fourth Serie A Title.

But De Ligt’s time at the Italian capital hasn’t been as fruitful as he would have imagined with the ex-Ajax captain experiencing a mixed campaign in his two seasons at Juventus. During his time at the club, De Ligt has watched his side crash out of the UEFA Champions League without even making the semis while they also conceded the Serie A title to Inter Milan this season after a record nine consecutive title wins. Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs Cristiano Ronaldo: AC Milan Announces 24-Member Squad Against Juventus, Fans Give Warm Send-Off to Rossoneri As They Head to Turin (Watch Videos).

Reports in Italy suggest that Barcelona had discussed the possibility of cashing in on De Ligt, who still has three years remaining in his contract, during talks about the UEFA Super League with Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli. But the offer was outrightly rejected with Juventus once again asserting that the 21-year-old centre-back was not for sale. De Lit has endured a difficult time at Turin with his season often hampered by injuries.

He recently recovered from a serious shoulder injury to cement a place in the Juventus backline ahead of Merih Demiral and Giorgio Chiellini. De Ligt set up Alex Sandro’s opening goal and also scored in Juventus’ 3-1 win over Parma, which was the club’s last home game. He is also expected to be part of the Juventus backline when they host AC Milan at home this Sunday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 09, 2021 05:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).