19-year old Dutch starlet Matthijs de Ligt starred in Ajax’s shock run to the Champions League semifinals and has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona and Manchester United, according to ESPN, but could be just what Manchester City need this summer.
As Manchester City approach perhaps their most transitional summer since Pep Guardiola’s first window in charge, central defense has been penciled in as an area of concern. Following the emotional departure of longtime club captain Vincent Kompany, the faltering form of Nicolás Otamendi, and John Stones losing his place in the first team, City’s only real anchor at the back heading into next season is £58.5 million signing Aymeric Laporte.
While Ajax star Matthijs de Ligt has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona and more recently, Manchester United, the Dutchman could be the perfect player to fill the massive void both on the pitch and in the dressing room left by Kompany.
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De Ligt was a vital piece of Ajax’s incredible season in which they managed to capture a domestic double and nearly reach the Champions League Final, and at just 19 years of age, he looks poised to be a cornerstone at the back for the next decade at one of Europe’s elite clubs in the near future.
While perhaps not an athletic freak, de Ligt has a fantastic ability to read the game, has a stellar defensive ability, and also scored several goals across Ajax’s European campaign. Moreover, as a natural born leader and captain, he is perhaps the player best suited to fill Kompany’s void at the Etihad Stadium.
In City’s last two Champions League quarterfinal exits, defensive capitulation has been a large part of the Blues’ downfall. Although Laporte has proven to be a solid defender during his time in Manchester, he made several critical errors in the second leg against Tottenham as well as the 3-0 first leg thrashing to Liverpool a season ago. In the key moments in tightly-contested battles in Europe, City’s failures have largely come at the back, where de Ligt already has experience in key victories over Real Madrid and Juventus.
Although de Ligt is perhaps not the ideal Guardiola center-back in terms of his ball-playing ability from the back, a defensive anchor could be just the partner Laporte needs in order to solidify the Citizens’ defense. In many ways, he is similar to Kompany in that while both were not the most technical ball-players, both are stabilizing defensive anchors who organize a team at the back with a strong aerial presence and the occasional eye for goal.
Moreover, de Ligt’s experience playing in an attacking system at Ajax that was vulnerable to counter-attacks will transition smoothly at City, where defenders are often left in three-on-three situations when out of possession and caught up the pitch. Additionally, with his incredible leadership abilities at just 19 years old, he could easily be City’s future captain and fill the massive motivational loss that comes with Kompany’s departure.
Although the highly-rated defender will not come cheaply, de Ligt would undoubtedly represent City’s biggest and most important signing of the summer in the spine of the team. With the chance to join a side that have already achieved a historic level of domestic dominance, de Ligt could just be the missing piece that sends City to Champions League glory in the years to come.