Barcelona Transfer News: Premier League Trio Rival Catalans for Matthijs de Ligt

Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal will reportedly rival Barcelona for the services of Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt, who continues to be linked with the Catalan giants. 

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo has reported on the links between the Netherlands international and Blaugrana at length since last year (h/t Calciomercato.com). It has done so again recently, adding the aforementioned Premier League trio to the mix (h/t Calciomercato.com).

De Ligt has been a regular for Ajax since 2016 and has been one of the standouts for the team in the past year despite being just 18. He's also a full international and widely regarded as his nation's top defensive talent.

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A product of Ajax's famed academy, De Ligt combines defensive prowess and great physical strength with the technical abilities people have come to expect from graduates of the club. He routinely plays a part in the attack and has an excellent passing range.

The teenager is also comfortable with the ball at his feet, as you can see in this video:

Many of the links between De Ligt and Barcelona came before the January transfer window, when the Catalans had a huge depth issue in defence and with Javier Mascherano on the verge of leaving. The Blaugrana have since added Yerry Mina to the squad, however, reducing their need for more defenders.

De Ligt is more than just a depth option, though. He's five years younger than Mina and arguably already a better player―his upside is that of a world-class centre-back who could lead the team for the better part of two decades.

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City also added to their defensive options in January, bringing in Aymeric Laporte, but like Barcelona, they usually do a good job of purchasing promising youngsters before their values rise too high.

United would love to develop De Ligt alongside Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly, two strong and talented options who lack the Dutchman's passing range and the distribution skills. Bleacher Report's Rob Blanchette wants the Red Devils to make additions:

De Ligt's playing style and Ajax roots make Barcelona the best fit, and in all likelihood, the links between the parties will continue to surface.

The Catalans appear set at centre-back, with Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti forming a strong partnership, but the former is 31 and will start to regress at some point in the near future―investing in his replacement would not be a bad idea.