Virgil van Dijk has revealed to Dutch publication De Telegraaf he’s a huge admirer of Ajax defender Mattijs de Ligt – and is convinced the rising star is already on Liverpool’s shortlist.
Tottenham have been the Premier League club most strongly linked with signing the 19-year-old, with the Evening Standard among those reporting Spurs are keen to reinforce their defence by signing the £50million-valued Holland international.
Van Dijk, who plays with De Ligt for the Dutch national side, has claimed the youngster has already made huge strides at such an early stage in his career and will eventually leave for big money.
“He is already very far, especially at that age,” Van Dijk told De Telegraaf. “A good defender, good boy, calm, knows what he wants and hopefully he makes the right choice in his next step.”
Van Dijk was pressed on whether that next step could be Liverpool, and the Holland captain explained how his club will be well aware of such a talent.
“He will be on the list, because they have enough scouts at the club,” the 27-year-old added to De Telegraaf.
Van Dijk was then asked whether the best scout would be his international colleague and replied: “No, but if they need my opinion at Liverpool, I’ll give it.”
OPINION
There is certainly a well travelled path from Ajax to the Premier League big clubs, particularly to north London, where Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen and Davinson Sanchez have all established themselves in recent years. Others have made a more circuitous route to the English big time, including Van Dijk himself. Aged 19, the man who has developed into the finest centre-back in the Premier League was about to make a free transfer move from one middling Dutch club – Willem II – to another, Groningen. By contrast, De Ligt is the Ajax captain, playing regularly in the Champions League and for his country, and is widely regarded as one of the outstanding young defenders in Europe. He has already made 83 Ajax first team appearances as well as securing 11 full Holland caps. Talk about precocious. Should Liverpool be in the market for him? Not at £50million, no. With Van Dijk, brilliant youngster Joe Gomez and proven performers Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren on their books, Liverpool can’t move for quality centre-backs.