Matthijs de Ligt Heading to the Premier League?

Ajax has long been a great football club for developing young players.  Last summer they sold three players to Premier League teams as Davinson Sanchez moved to Tottenham Hotspur for £36 million, Davy Klaassen moved to Everton for £24 million and Jairo Riedewald was transferred to Crystal Palace for £8 million.

Spurs Interest

This summer, it seems as though Ajax are going to lose another player to the Premier League and young central defender, Matthijs de Ligt has recently been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

If reports are to be trusted, Mauricio Pochettino has been tracking the Dutch teenager for some time.  De Ligt has been ever present for Ajax this season and became the youngest captain in the history of Dutch professional football, when he took the armband in January.

However, his rapid rise to the top of the Eredivisie has seen interest grow in the player, who has already played five times for his country.  De Ligt is known for his defensive decision making and for a player so young he reads the game very well.  Tall and physically strong, there are not many who can out muscle the defender and he is not short in the pace department, something which is important in the modern game.

Manchester City Keen

Despite Tottenham Hotspur being strongly linked with the player, another team has come into the picture.  In a report in the Guardian, a British newspaper, Manchester City are also keen on brining De Ligt to the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola’s team may have swept all before them in the Premier League this season but there is still room for improvement, especially in the Champions League.  Manchester City were taken apart by Liverpool in their Champions League quarter-final and their captain, Vincent Kompany has struggled with injury in recent years.

The Belgian international cannot be relied upon to stay fit for a whole season and he is also entering the final year of his contract.  Therefore, now might be the right time for Guardiola to bring in a young, promising defender who could work alongside Kompany in his final season at the club before stepping up into the first team as a regular starter.

Manchester City will not be short of money to spend in the transfer window this summer and Guardiola will not be put off by the price tag of a player who would look comfortable adapting to the way the former Barcelona coach likes to play.

With Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte and Kompany already at the Etihad Stadium, De Ligt may struggle to get regular first team football at Manchester City next season and that may make Tottenham Hotspur more tempting initially. However, in terms of winning trophies, Manchester City must be the preferred destination.