De Ligt arrives in Turin to complete Juventus move

Matthijs de Ligt has arrived in Turin to put the finishing touches on his move to Juventus. 

The 19-year-old was one of the most sought-after players in the world following his stellar season with Ajax, where he captained the club to the Champions League semi-finals and the Eredivisie title. 

Final discussions between the two clubs took place over the weekend, with the Italians landing a deal for the young centre-back that will reportedly see him sign on for five years. 

Juventus fired out videos on Tuesday showing De Ligt arriving to complete his medicals and round out his move to the Serie A champions, with the defender confirming his joy at being signed by one of Europe's top clubs. 

"Hello, Bianconeri, this is Matthijs. I'm really happy to be here," he said to the Juventus cameras upon his arrival. 

Juventus will be pleased to land one of the club's top targets for the summer, with the Italian side having gotten a first-hand look at the talented Dutch star when the sides met in the Champions League quarter-finals. 

While Juventus did manage to score in both legs against De Ligt and Ajax, it was the teenager who had the last laugh, scoring the winner in the second leg to send his side through to the semi-finals at the expense of the Italian champions. 

Goal

De Ligt joins a side that, having signed Cristiano Ronaldo last summer, ran away with the domestic title last season, cruising to 90 points to finish 11 clear of runners-up Napoli. 

And while Ronaldo certainly provided plenty of spark on the attacking side, the centre-back should help the club maintain its strength along the back line, where the club gave up only 30 goals across 38 league games. 

But Juve are still chasing an elusive Champions League crown and, despite their domestic success in recent years, made the decision to change managers this summer, with Maurizio Sarri taking over for Massimiliano Allegri​ heading into the new campaign. 

Juventus are next in action on Sunday, with the club set to take on Tottenham in an International Champions Cup clash in Singapore.