MANCHESTER CITY HAVE been urged to move for Matthijs de Ligt “immediately”, with former Ajax boss Peter Bosz viewing the teenage defender as the perfect partner for Aymeric Laporte.
The Blues are among a host of clubs to have been linked with the Netherlands international ahead of the summer transfer window.
Goal reported back in October 2018 that Pep Guardiola was considering a raid on the ranks in Amsterdam.
He is by no means the only one to have had such thoughts, though, with the likes of Barcelona, Juventus, Liverpool and Manchester United also in the mix.
A scramble for a much sought-after signature will be sparked at some stage, and City have been told to position themselves at the front of a queue that could see them improve a squad that has already wrapped up an historic domestic treble in 2019.
Bosz, who spent the 2016-17 season in charge of Ajax, told Voetbal International: “Normally I would say to a 19-year-old boy who has had two years of professional football: Patience, it will come, take two more years of experience with Ajax. In the Eredivisie, in the Champions League.
Only, I think Matthijs is the exception that confirms the rule. That he is already ready for that step.
“But what is the best step? In my eyes, that must be a club where you can play.
“If I were Manchester City, I would get him immediately.
“Vincent Kompany is leaving and I don’t think Nicolas Otamendi is good enough. It would fit perfectly with Laporte. He will play even better with Matthijs next to him, I am convinced of that.
“I also hear Barcelona everywhere, but there you have to deal with Gerard Pique.
That would mean, if Samuel Umtiti did indeed leave, that he had to come to play centrally on the left.
“That doesn’t have to be a problem, because I think Matthijs can play on the left as well as the right in the centre just as easily.”
City are expected to be in the market for another centre-half this summer after seeing Kompany take the decision to walk away from the club after 11 years.
Gavan Casey is joined by Ryan Bailey and Andy Dunne to look ahead to Saturday’s Pro14 final, look at whether Joey Carbery’s move has paid off and Jack Conan talks about how his body is holding up.:
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Agree with his comments in that regard but a bit rich coming from him as La Liga chief where Barca and Real carve up the TV rights with their own TV deals which dwarf the alms handed out to the rest. Could do with sorting his own shop too..
@alternativefacter: your right about the TV rights there has been slight improvement but still nowhere near enough in Spanish football
PSG and City just copying the financial doping model invented by the Spanish and Catalan governments.
@Stanley Baggins: that’s just plain ignorance. The Spanish government lost true control years ago over the sport . It wasn’t a plan it was just ineptitude . The Catalan government is a regional government and have nothing to do with it . Still you’ll get more likes cos people love to believe s#it€
He wasnt saying anything when Real were winning. How much debt has the goverment wiped clean for them?
@Kingshu: used to be the king, is the government at it now?
@Kingshu: he is the League President , he has two many enemies , the Spanish FA and UEFA/CL
@Dave O Keeffe: the King ??? Haha haha deluded ! That’s like saying it was Franco cos he was top dog in Europe .
The rest of the football world should seize & allow Real & Barca to dominate
Javier has made some excellent points.
It was okay when their lads were the biggest fish in the pond. I agree with him but its hypocritical on his part. The two he mentions can’t get within an ass’s roar of a final no matter how much they bend the rules.
@Hardly Normal: Wait
…at one point they were going to wind up Real Madrid. It would have taken the main Spanish banks down with them. State support???
@Tom McHugh: what point was that ? A date maybe ?
City’s record signing is £60 million, what is Barcelona’s or Real’s. And they apparently wanted this idiot to be chief executive of the Premier League.
@William Boland: city just buy buy buy and consistently price other teams out of signings. I think your forgetting PSG though. Remember the whole Neymar+Mbappe double transfer? That was beyond farcical
@William Boland: it’s not what they pay it’s who they pay it for ? Real and Barca also sell their players for often more than when signed , even Ronaldo’s fee for Juventus was technically more . Who do City sell for more than they paid for ??
@Limón Madrugada: in the last 5 years, who have City overpaid for? They got out of the race for Sanchez because they didn’t want to overpay for him, same as DeJong. You can say PSG City in no way created the market the way it is now.
@William Boland: I haven’t said they’ve overpaid for anyone . I’m saying if you spend 12 x50M that’s 600M whereas if you’re an extremely rich club like Real Madrid or Barca you spend 200M -300M because you’ve just sold Neymar , Ronaldo or even Morata for 70-100-250M , and you’ve picked up 100m for winning the CL .. or should I say 400M for winning it 4 times in 5 years . It’s the total spend that’s high not the price for the player .And how you generated the money to pay for him . Madrid generates 120M a year from Adidas alone . 120M from ticket sales . Barca even more . City don’t generate that income , but they can spend better than the best .
He’s right too..
But its ok for Barcelona and Real to buy La Liga every year
@Brysonpieters: Barca didn’t buy it this year . Nor last year . Madrid’s last League win included the European double and they made no significant additions to that years squad that made the difference . Madrid has spent its money recently on future players some of whom have just started to play a bit ( Vinicius Jr) or Rodrygo , yet to arrive . Their impact on Madrid’s league position is minimal