Juventus vice-president Pavel Nedved admits signing former Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt was a battle.

Nedved says they had to see off a lot of competition for the defender.

He said, "It was a real struggle, very tough. He's young, already captain of Ajax and we made this choice for the present, but above all the future. There was a lot of tough competition, but we are happy that he chose us.

“All the big clubs are reinforcing, including in Italy, and I think it'll be much more hard-fought for the Scudetto than in previous years.

“It'll be a real battle in Europe too with so many clubs that can cause you problems, but Juventus will be ready."