Official: Bayern Munich sign Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus FC (for cheaper than expected)

In arguably the masterstroke of FC Bayern Munich’s transfer window, Bayern Munich has announced the signature of 22-year-old center-back Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus. The transfer is actually cheaper than previously reported, for a €67m guaranteed spend + €10m in add-ons. The Dutch international now finds himself twice on the list of top five all-time most expensive center-back signings.

At that price, De ligt is Hasan Salihamidžić’s marquee signing of the summer, and it’s another recruitment coup for the Bayern sporting director and coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Bayern paid up, but they’re landing an extremely gifted player who has always rooted for the club and could therefore imagine himself as one of the legends of the future. In the present, the German record champions addressed their perceived vulnerability at the back and will have a true wealth of options for Nagelsmann to configure into either a back five, back four, or back three — we’ll have to wait and see exactly what the manager has got in store.

De Ligt is arriving on an apparent five-year-deal, which takes him through 2027 and the early part of his playing prime. He’ll be expected to immediately slot into the first-choice XI, partnering either Lucas Hernández, Benjamin Pavard, or Dayot Upamecano — or perhaps more than one of them. And though he’s young, Bayern will hope he’s that commanding presence to help organize at the back.

With this signing, Bayern have delivered on their reported intention a week ago to conclude both the Lewandowski and De Ligt business by the start of preseason camp.

We’re going to have much more on De Ligt in the coming days — where he fits, how we’re all digesting the news, how he’s settling in — but for now, it’s safe to say Bayern’s defense has dramatically improved.

In case you crave more analysis of Bayern Munich, check out our latest podcast episode. We discussed the fallout of Robert Lewandowski’s transfer to FC Barcelona, covering everything including potential lineups, remaining transfers, and expectations for Nagelsmann and the team. Listen to it below or at this link.

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