Matthijs de Ligt Says He Will Decide on His Future at the End of the Season

Ajax centre-back Matthijs de Ligt has said he will not make a decision on his future until the end of the 2018-19 season after winning the 2018 Golden Boy award. 

Per Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia), the 19-year-old, who has been heavily linked with a number of top European clubs including Juventus, said he is purely focussed at the moment on succeeding with Ajax:

"I can't be disturbed by other things at this point of the season. I'm the captain of this glorious team, and I'll decide whether the time has come for me to take the next step at the end of the season. For everything else, you have to ask my agent or the Ajax directors. I repeat, I'm focused on Ajax and being the Golden Boy, of course."

Ajax have enjoyed an impressive start to 2018-19.

They are two points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie as they look to win their first league title since 2014.

Ajax have also qualified to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

De Ligt has played a key role in the Dutch club's impressive campaign so far, and he becomes a bigger name seemingly by the day:

As such it is little surprise that he has drawn interest from elsewhere. Elite-level centre-backs are a precious commodity in the modern game, and De Ligt looks to have all the attributes to perform at the highest level for the next decade.

As well as Juve, Barcelona and Manchester City have long been linked with De Ligt, per Ignasi Oliva and Sam Lee of Goal.

Ajax will be loath to let him go. But the longer he continues to impress in the Eredivisie, the Champions League and for the Dutch national team, the bigger the transfer fee the storied club will be able to demand.

De Ligt has a contract at the Johan Cruyff Arena to 2021, and for now he appears focused on continuing Ajax's progress as they aim to return to the the European elite.