OPINION
Liverpool have again been linked with Matthijs de Ligt ahead of a proposed move to Anfield in the summer but this time by Spanish football expert Guillem Balague.
Well-renowned Spanish football expert Balague has claimed that Liverpool and Ajax have already been in contact, and have spoken about a potential switch to Anfield for the 19 year old in the summer.
“They (Barcelona) think they have De Ligt, even though both Liverpool and PSG have also been talking to him” said Balague when speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live on on Thursday evening.
De Ligt is certainly the real deal, and although he is only 19 years of age, he has already earned the captaincy at Ajax, and subsequently already lead them to a Champions League semi-final, in which they lost against Spurs.
There have been a number of clubs showing interest in the defender, which make sense considering his immense rise to the top over the last season.
The 19-year old has played 33 games for Ajax this season in the Eredivise, scoring and assisting three goals respectively, and has shown that he has an attacking threat as well as unbelievable defensive abilities.
Jurgen Klopp must pull out all the stops to persuade the Ajax captain to make the switch to Anfield, before another club comes in for him instead.
The defender has shown that he has real leadership qualities already, although he is still very young, and would fit perfectly in the Liverpool side alongside Virgil Van Dijk, who is also his international teammate.
De Ligt would be able to hit the ground running due to already knowing Van Dijk and that means the Reds could start the season extremely strong at the back.
This international bond may also be another reason for Klopp to try and persuade de Ligt to sign for Liverpool, and it could end up being the thing that sways the defender into making the switch.
However given that Barcelona and Paris St Germain are the other two clubs keen according to Balague, it’s clear the Reds are going to have pull out all the stops to get their man.
