Harry Watkinson
Matthijs de Ligt: Is the Dutch centre-back worth £75 million?
22-year-old Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt has been one of the most sought-after players in the summer window, with Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United all vying for his signature… but what’s all the fuss about?
We have broken down his stats from his last three seasons playing for Juventus, so we can see what he will offer to his new club, wherever that may be.
The most recent rumoured transfer fee was a £75 million bid from Bayern Munich, but is the Dutch wonderkid worth that much?
2019-20:
The 2019-20 season was de Ligt’s first at Juventus, after joining from Ajax on a £75 million deal (the same fee being banded around this summer, too), so there was pressure on the then-19-year-old to perform at a high level.
One of the big things about his game is his aerial ability. He jumps unbelievably high, and already stands at 6ft 2in so there are very few strikers who can beat him in the air. This helps him complete an average of 3.3 successful clearances per game, which is well above the average for centre-backs in the Serie A. He also makes 0.9 tackles per game and 0.9 interceptions, so he really is the definition of a complete defender when he is on top of his game.
He is also a great ball-playing defender, and that 2019-20 season was no different, with a fantastic 90.2% pass success rate, he very rarely gives the ball to the opposition. This is something which is very much in demand with Europe’s top sides; the majority of which play out from the back, so a centre-back who can pass is essential. This is undoubtedly a key reason for de Ligt’s huge price tag.
But the most important thing as a defender is of course clean sheets, and de Ligt had them in abundance in 2019-20. He had the perfect teammates to learn from too, playing alongside Leanardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini and that partnership helped the Dutchman keep 13 clean sheets in all competitions for Juventus.
He scored three goals, too, all of which being headers from set-pieces, so he is also an effective threat going forward as well as solid at the back.
His great form helped Juve to win the Serie A title … so it’s fair to say it wasn’t a bad first season for de Ligt at the Allianz Arena.
Played: 39
Tackles per game: 0.9
Interceptions per game: 0.9
Clearances per game: 3.3
Pass success rate: 90.2%
Clean Sheets: 13
Assists: 1
Goals: 4
2020-21:
After his tremendous success in his first season, Juve fans’ expectations increased and so did the pressure on the team. However, the team’s performance levels definitely dipped in 2020-21 as they ultimately slumped to a 4th place finish off the back of the title win, but in fact, de Ligt actually improved in the vast majority of his stats during the campaign.
The Dutch defender made 1.4 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game on average, a considerable increase from the previous season’s performance. Evidently, the experience of Chiellini and Bonucci seemed to be rubbing off on him. He also increased his pass accuracy, too, to a success rate of 92.5%... one of the highest not only in Italy but the world. This again shows why he is one of the most wanted defenders on the globe.
The only stats that decreased for him was his clearances: which dropped from 3.3 per game to 2.4; which is still not a bad amount, and clean sheets: which is obviously more significant. However, the performance of the team as a whole may be a good reason for that, after losing two key defensive midfielders in Arthur and Nicolo Rovella.
Played: 36
Tackles per game: 1.4
Interceptions per game: 1.1
Clearances per game: 2.4
Pass success rate: 92.5%
Clean Sheets: 9
Assists: 1
Goals: 1
2021-22:
But De Ligt then responded instantly with another excellent campaign for Juve, where he picked up the most clean sheets in his entire Juventus career, with 17 across all competitions. He really needed to step up too, as Juve’s captain Chiellini was out for the majority of the season due to various bad injuries. De Ligt showed his character by only improving.
His number of tackles and interceptions per game actually decreased slightly, to 1.1 and 0.8 respectively; but these stats are still relatively high. His clearances increased though, back to his high standard of 3.1 per match.
His pass success rate remained very high for a centre-back at 88.9%. As mentioned, his consistency and the ability to pass accurately will be a huge asset for whatever club brings him in this summer.
De Ligt has performed consistently better than average across all stats in all three of his seasons at Juve, so he deserves to be at a club that is fighting for the biggest trophies… and let’s not forget that he is still only 22, so he is destined only to get better.
Played: 42
Tackles per game: 1.1
Interceptions per game: 0.8
Clearances per game: 3.1
Pass success rate: 88.9%
Clean Sheets: 17
Assists: 1
Goals: 3
