Munich (Germany), Jul 20 (IANS): German club Bayern Munich on Tuesday signed the Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus on a five-year contract that will keep him with the club till June 30, 2027.

De Ligt joined Juventus from Ajax on a five-year contract in July 2019 and spent three seasons with the Serie A champions. He won one Serie A title and one Coppa Italia in 117 appearances for Juventus.

"I'm very happy to become a player for this great club. FC Bayern is one of the most successful clubs in Germany, one of the most successful clubs in Europe and in the world," said De Ligt.

"I felt genuine appreciation from the sporting management, the coach and the board right from the start, which convinced me. On top of that, it is a brilliantly run club with big aims. I'm very glad that I'm now becoming part of the FC Bayern story," he added.

The 22-year-old, who has 38 senior caps for the Netherlands and two goals, became the second Dutch international to join Bayern this summer after midfielder Ryan Gravenberch's transfer to the club.

"Matthijs de Ligt was a top target for us. With signings like this, the big aims that we have are achievable. The future face of our team is increasingly taking shape, and this transfer is an important building block in the overall concept that we're gradually putting into place. De Ligt should become a mainstay at FC Bayern," said Herbert Hainer, FC Bayern president.

Bayern have also bought Sadio Mane from Liverpool and right-back Noussair Mazraoui from Ajax.