FC Bayern paid 67 million euros for Matthijs de Ligt last summer to lure the Dutchman from Juventus Turin to the Isar. According to sports director Hasan Salihamidzic, the 23-year-old central defender also made a financial contribution to the transfer finally working out.
In an interview with “The Athletic”, Salihamidzic commented on De Ligt’s commitment and chatted out of the box. According to the 45-year-old, the defender was keen to leave Juve in the summer and made financial cuts to make the move possible: “He gave up a lot when he came to us. He really wanted to come to Bayern. That shows how much he burns for this club.”
Hernandez failure becomes an opportunity for de Ligt
De Ligt himself has recently emphasized several times that he did not like Juve’s very defensive style of play. According to Salihamidzic, this was another key reason that Munich took advantage of: “In Italy, he couldn’t play football the way he wanted. I knew that if we found a solution, he would definitely come.”
While de Ligt had slight start-up difficulties in Munich, which are mainly due to physical deficits, and had to be content with a reserve role at the start of the season, the 23-year-old will play significantly more in the future. Due to the weeks-long absence of Lucas Hernandez (torn muscle), de Ligt will be as good as set in Bayern’s central defense in the coming weeks.
