Arsenal, Man United and Man City linked with Ajax defender

De ligt
De ligt

Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City have been linked with a move for Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt.

The 18-year-old is one of Europe’s most sought-after players, with Mundo Deportivo claiming Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also monitoring his progress.

De Ligt made his professional debut for Jong Ajax in August 2016 and went on to play for the club’s first team the following month.

He made his debut for the Netherlands national side in March 2017 in a 2–0 defeat to Bulgaria in a World Cup qualifying match.

De Ligt has made 23 appearances in the Eredivisie this season, scoring two goals.

The centre-back is contracted to Ajax until 2021 and the Dutch giants can be expected to demand a big fee for his services.

City’s recent signing of Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao suggests they may not be in the market for another centre-back, while the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly and Samuel Umtiti have been tipped to sign for United.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger desperately needs to strengthen his defence and would perhaps offer de Ligt the best chance of securing regular first team football in the Premier League.

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