Matthijs de Ligt Reportedly Wants Ajax Exit Amid Man City, Tottenham Rumours

Ajax starlet Matthijs de Ligt is reportedly keen to leave the club this summer, with Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona and Bayern Munich all said to be keen on the defender.

Kristof Terreur of Het Laastse Nieuws relayed information from a story in De Telegraaf, in which it's noted De Ligt is ready to move on:

Sport Witness also looked at the report from De Telegraaf and said the story hails the 18-year-old as Dutch football's "greatest talent." It's noted that Mino Raiola is working with De Ligt's current agent, Barry Hulshoff, to broker a possible deal.

Per football writer Kristan Heneage, Ajax may not be too happy to have Raiola involved with some of their prize assets at the moment:

While there are a number of exciting prospects plying their trade for the Amsterdam giants, De Ligt is arguably the crown jewel of the crop.

The centre-back forced his way into the side last season and was a crucial figure in Ajax's run to the final of the UEFA Europa League. Despite losing 2-0 to Manchester United, the teenager's mature performance was striking.

Following the departure of Davinson Sanchez to Spurs before this campaign, De Ligt has emerged as the leader at the back for his side. And while the are still understandably raw facets to his game, he's handled that pressure well on the whole.

As noted by the Ajax Twitter account, De Ligt was recognised by his club recently with the Talent of the Year prize:

The interest from some of European football's biggest clubs would make a lot of sense, as De Ligt appears tailor-made to play for an elite side in the future.

Defensively he has showcased an understanding of the game that far exceeds his tender years. Centre-back is an unforgiving position for a teenager, yet De Ligt is commanding, physical and has an excellent appreciation of space on the field.

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What will also appeal to the aforementioned four teams, who all like to play out with the ball from the back, is his ability in possession. Unsurprisingly for an Ajax academy graduate, De Ligt looks just as comfortable with the ball at his feet as he does in his defensive duties.

Chris Miller from The Fighting Cock podcast believes Spurs should be looking to land the Netherlands international:

For all they hype that's accompanied the tyro so far this season, it's worth remembering that he's still in the nascent stages of his career. And while he's showcased maturity in spades so far, a switch to a giant of European football would heap a different type of pressure upon him.

De Ligt will want to continue playing plenty of football to ensure his exciting development remains on track. While some big clubs will view him as a perfect option for the long term, it's unlikely he'd be a first-team regular for any of them at the moment.