Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt plays down rumours linking him with Barcelona and explains why he won’t get vaccinated against COVID.
The former Ajax man has been linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer, but he insisted he is happy in Turin.
“I am very happy at Juve. I feel like a fish in water,” he told ESPN.nl
“I feel good on the pitch and appreciated. Would they let me go? There are plenty of clubs that have money problems, but you should ask the club.
“I don’t know. These [Barcelona rumours] make no sense now. That is not important to me and nobody has informed me about it.
De Ligt joined Juventus two years ago. The Old Lady won the Serie A title in his first season at the club, but managed only to snatch a narrow Champions League spot in 2020-21.
“It was a tough season physically and mentally. A season with ups and downs,” the defender admitted.
“I was out for three months and then come back and tested positive for COVID.
“If you had said three weeks ago: ‘we will win the Coppa Italia and we will make Champions League football’, that would have been good.”
The 21-year-old tested positive for COVID in January and doesn’t want to get vaccinated.
“I have not taken a vaccination, it is not mandatory,” the defender said.
“I think you should be in charge of your own body. The risk of infection is always there. I try to come into contact with as few people as possible outside the Dutch national team.”