The Reds of Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs are among the clubs linked with the Ajax and Netherlands prodigy.
Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur fans pining for Matthijs de Ligt’s arrival will undoubtedly have received a boost – and possibly a laugh at Manchester United’s expense – following comments from Netherlands legend Ruud Gullit about what the Ajax youngster is looking for career-wise.
The 19-year-old centre-back enjoyed an impressive season for club and country, captaining the Amsterdam side to the Champions League semi-finals while also starting for a Holland side that reached the UEFA Nations League final.
It is thus little surprise that De Ligt is now one of Europe’s most sought-after players, with most of the continent’s elite clubs heavily linked with him – according to The Mirror, Liverpool are one of those clubs, while Tottenham have reportedly followed his progress for over a year (Daily Star).
The likes of Barcelona – who have signed fellow Ajax academy graduate and Netherlands international Frenkie de Jong – and Paris Saint-Germain, plus Manchester United, have also been linked with De Ligt, as reported by Goal.com.
Although it is believed that neither Tottenham nor Liverpool are frontrunners for the teenager’s signature, the fact both reached the Champions League final – and in the Reds’ case, two seasons in a row plus winning it this year – could bode well.
In conversation with Omnisport and quoted by Goal.com, Gullit said of De Ligt: “I don’t think it’ll be Manchester United, they don’t play in the Champions League. I think he wants to play in the Champions League, so that’s unfortunate for Manchester United.”
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Ajax value De Ligt at around €60million (£53.5million), while Fox Sports believes the Amsterdam side will demand around £75million for his services.
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