Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt has offered Manchester United hope of a potential transfer to Old Trafford this summer by saying his future won’t be influenced by Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman.
The 19-year-old is attracting plenty of interest this summer after a sensational season for Ajax, in which he captained the club to Eredivisie glory and to a surprise run to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
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There has been a lot of back and forth over De Ligt’s situation, with a recent ESPN report suggesting Man Utd expected to miss out on the Dutchman to Barcelona.
However, there may still be hope for the Red Devils as the Telegraph claim there has been plenty about the potential move to Old Trafford for the player to mull over and that he’ll make a final decision in a few days.
Meanwhile, Holland manager Koeman has been linked with the Barcelona job by the Evening Standard, sparking talk of a Dutch takeover at the Nou Camp that could also involve De Ligt.
Speaking about his future, however, De Ligt insists what Koeman does will have no baring on his own decision on his future.
‘At the end of the day, you look at yourself only. He [Ronald Koeman] does know me well but the fact that he is Dutch won’t matter a lot [if Koeman joins Barcelona],’ the player is quoted by the Metro.
‘Why does it take so long for me to make a decision on my future? For months there have been reports about me and the transfer period itself hasn’t even started yet, so, fine question from you. It’s not that I write it. The media does that.
‘I just want to finish this season first and focus on that [making decision on future]. I do prefer to play the pre-season with my new club, or with Ajax. I don’t know when it will happen but I hope will be as soon as possible.’