De Ligt joins Bayern Munich in €77m deal as Chelsea miss out on defensive transfer target

Posted Wednesday, July 20, 2022 by Goal.com

Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt has completed a permanent transfer to Bayern Munich. The Dutchman brings the curtain down on his three-year stint in Italy to join Julian Nagelsmann's ranks at Allianz Arena, and will now integrate with the squad ahead of their 2022-23 season opener next month.

Bayern have brought in one of the most highly-rated centre-backs in Europe after finalising a deal with Juve, where he became a Serie A and Coppa Italia winner.

How much have Bayern paid to sign De Ligt?

Bayern have paid an initial fee of €67 million (£57m/$69m) for De Ligt, with the deal set to be worth an extra €10m (£8.5m/$10m) in add-ons if certain performance and commercial-related clauses are met.

What is De Ligt's contract length at Bayern?

De Ligt has put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Bayern, which will see him remain at Allianz Arena through to the end of the 2026-27 season.

Were any other sides interested in De Ligt?

As confirmed by GOAL, Chelsea were also chasing De Ligt after seeing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leave Stamford Bridge this summer, but ultimately dropped out of the race when it became clear that his preference was to join Bayern.

Paris Saint-Germain were strongly linked with the Netherlands international too, but he will now continue his development with the German champions.

Who else will Bayern sign this summer?

De Ligt has become Bayern's fourth summer transfer window signing, with Sadio Mane, Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui having also been snapped up on permanent deals.

The Bundesliga giants have, though, seen top scorer Robert Lewandowski depart for Barcelona, and it has been suggested that they will seek a replacement before the market slams shut.

Tottenham's Harry Kane and Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo had both been mooted as potential targets, but Bayern have publicly distanced themselves from the duo, while they have also been credited with an interest in Napoli's Victor Osimhen.

One striker they are certainly keen on is Rennes teenager Mathys Tel, though the French club have rejected three offers from Bayern thus far, with a fee of around €25m (£21m/$25m) likely required to get the deal done.

Midfield reinforcements are also required before the window shuts, with Nagelsmann keen to bring in Konrad Laimer, who he coached during his time in charge of RB Leipzig.