Having seen his highly rated Ajax teammate Frenkie de Jong seal a deal with Barcelona that will become activated at the end of the season, the feeling is that it is only a matter of time before Matthijs de Ligt leaves the Amsterdam ArenA for a bigger club in Europe and the 2018 Golden Boy award winner has been urged to consider a move to Liverpool as he could form “the best centre-back pairing in Europe” alongside compatriot Virgil van Dijk.
Former Netherlands international Rene van der Gijp believes de Ligt would be a fine addition at Anfield. As things stand, the 19-year-old is being more heavily linked with sides outside of England. Goal revealed back in October that Serie A champions Juventus had joined the hunt for the talented teenager. La Liga giants Barcelona have headed the queue of interested parties for some time and are expected to remain keen until the summer.
They already have a deal in place with Ajax for Frenkie de Jong and may seek to agree another when the next window opens. Various other sides could come into the mix for a player considered to be one of the finest around in his chosen position, with the potential to get even better. Such talent would appeal to Liverpool, but they have spent big over the last 12 months and made Van Dijk the most expensive defender of all time when landing him for £75 million.
Whether Jurgen Klopp could free up the funds to make a similar move for De Ligt remains to be seen. Former Netherlands international Rene van der Gijp would be delighted, though, if the Reds were to make a move to add more Dutch muscle to the heart of their back four. He told Voetbal Primeur: “It would be great for Dutch football if those two defenders [De Ligt and Van Dijk] can play alongside each other for five to six years. Then you are getting the best centre-back pairing in Europe.”
Any of those planning to make a move for De Ligt this summer are going to have to dig deep in order to get a deal over the line. Ajax have made it clear that they will not be parting with prized assets on the cheap, with £66 million already secured for De Jong. His club and international colleague is expected to fetch even more, potentially £71 million, with ex-Netherlands coach Dick Advocaat expecting the current holder of the coveted Golden Boy award to fetch close to Van Dijk’s price tag. He said: “What’s the cost? He’s one of the best in Europe at its age. He’s so mature. Eighty million? I do not think Ajax will let him go for less. This guy can go anywhere. I think Spain and Italy are a good match for him.”
