Arsenal are eyeing a summer swoop for AFC Ajax youngster Matthijs de Ligt. According to recent reports, the Gunners are keeping tabs on the Dutch centre-back ahead of a potential move in the summer. The North London outfit has already sent one of their chief scouts to catch the Dutch starlet in action for his nation’s clash versus England last week.
At just a mere age of 18, de Ligt has broken into the Ajax first-team and has put in some eye-catching displays during the course of this season which has alerted some of Europe’s most elite clubs to possibly make a move for his signature at the end of the season. He was handed his first international cap for the Netherlands national team by Ronald Koeman last week. It is believed that a whole host of clubs are interested in securing his services which includes Arsenal.
Some sources are also claiming that the Gunners could be on the lookout for a new defender in the off-season and de Ligt fits the bill perfectly. The Ajax teenager can be considered by many as one of the best young defenders in world football. However, he won’t come cheap after AFC Ajax parted ways with de Ligt’s former central defensive partner Davinson Sanchez for a whopping £40m last summer.
Arsenal have recently slumped to the 6th place in the Premier League standings with a total points tally of 48 points in 30 matches. All of their eggs are in the UEFA Europa League basket as they look to win the competition in their quest to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
The addition of de Ligt will undoubtedly bolster Arsene Wenger’s defensive options ahead of the new season as they look to mount a realistic challenge for the top 4 places. The Gunners have the likes of Shkodran Mustafi, Laurent Koscielny, Sead Kolašinac, Nacho Monreal, Calum Chambers and Rob Holding vying for a place in Arsene Wenger’s first-team. The potential signing of de Ligt will definitely strengthen and add more competition for places in the North Londoners’ squad.
The 18-year-old centre-back has made 33 appearances for AFC Ajax this season, finding the back of the net 3 times and providing 2 assists in all competitions. He also has five international caps to his name for the Dutch national team. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of de Ligt and whether he ends up making a move to the Emirates Stadium in the near future.
