De Ligt gives Bayern Munich a timely reminder of Ronaldo’s qualities

Bayern Munich’s new summer signing played alongside CR7 at Juventus for two seasons.

Matthijs de Ligt has praised Cristiano Ronaldo amid rumors linking his former Juventus teammate with Bayern Munich.

The Dutch defender, who joined the Bundesliga champions from Juventus last month for a €67 million fee, has compared Ronaldo’s shape to a 24-year-old and praised the prolific Manchester United frontman’s longevity in the game.

“Ronaldo is a great character, speaks a lot with his teammates and the young players, and is always willing to help,” De Ligt told Kicker.

“He’s soon to be 38 and has the shape of a 24-year-old and still scores his goals. You can only admire him.”

🗣 #deLigt im @kicker-Interview: „Der Gegenspieler, der mir am meisten Probleme bereitet hat, war Leroy Sané. Ich musste ihn eins gegen eins über den ganzen Platz verteidigen, und er war einfach überall. Das habe ich ihm hier auch schon gesagt.“ @FCBayern pic.twitter.com/1eJNurzmNu

— Georg Holzner (@georg_holzner) August 3, 2022

‘Ronaldo is the best player in the world inside the box’

De Ligt partnered with Ronaldo for two of the Portugal captain’s three seasons at Juventus between 2018 and 2021.

He managed 123 goal contributions (101 goals and 22 assists) in 134 appearances and helped the Serie A club win five domestic trophies, including back-to-back league titles.

On Ronaldo, De Ligt added: “He’s done a great job in Juventus, scored goals, and was a great teammate.

“If you ask me who’s the best player in the world inside the box, I would say Ronaldo. You should always keep your eyes on him, otherwise he would score.”

Ronaldo, who reportedly wants to leave Manchester United this summer, remains linked with a switch to Bayern despite the German club’s attempts to play down the rumors.