Matthijs de Ligt Netherlands 2017-18

Juventus, Barcelona or Man Utd? Ajax wonderkid De Ligt speaks out on transfer links

Ajax's wonderkid defender Matthijs de Ligt admits he is flattered to be linked with some of Europe's biggest clubs as he prepares to consider his future over the summer. 

De Ligt, 18, was a fixture in the Ajax team that finished second behind Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, playing 31 out of 34 games for the Amsterdam giants. 

That consistency has not gone unnoticed, as he has earned a call up to the Netherlands senior team and reported interest from clubs of the calibre of Juventus, Barcelona, Tottenham and Manchester United.

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And he recognised that despite his tender age the time was right for him to sit down and think about his next steps in professional football. 

“It's difficult to answer, at the moment I'm an Ajax player. But I can say that I don't have a favourite club," De Ligt answered when asked by  Goal which of Europe's top teams he prefers.

"Ready for a different experience? Maybe, yes. I don't know. I like to play at high levels. Ajax are a big team, now the season is over, I'm on vacation and I can think about my future."

De Ligt is nevertheless enthused about the possibility of a move to Juventus, whom he dubbed "a club with a big history, many trophies and very good players".

But he denied knowledge of any negotiations reportedly taking place between Juve and his current club Ajax. 

"Honestly I don't know, at the moment I'm focused on the national team," he added when grilled on the Juve link.

"Sure, it's a great honor to be linked to such a big team but now I'm just thinking about playing well."

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