Matthijs De Ligt Will 'Go to a Top Club,' Says Marc Overmars Amid Barcelona Link

Ajax sporting director Marc Overmars has conceded that his club will "have no choice" but to sell Matthijs de Ligt in the summer, and he backed the centre-back to "go to a top club."

The 19-year-old defensive star is already Ajax captain and is widely considered to be one of the best young players in the world. Back in December the Dutchman won the 2018 Golden Boy award, given to the best player under the age of 21 in Europe.

De Ligt has been linked to a number of Europe's biggest clubs, including Juventus, Manchester City, Manchester United and Barcelona, who have already snapped up his team-mate and compatriot Frenkie de Jong. 

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Overmars, a former Barcelona player, said Ajax are not happy about having to let their best young players go, but he understands the widespread interest in De Ligt, per AS (h/t Football Italia):

"Matthijs can play anywhere, he can easily play for one of the six best teams in the world. He has incredible gifts: he has strength, mentality and heart. If I worked somewhere else, I’d do anything to sign him.

"We don’t need to sell him. We don’t need money, but I know he’ll go to a top club. Selling our best players? We don’t want to, but we have no choice. My job is to manage a top team, but we can’t keep our players if Real Madrid or Barcelona, who can afford to keep [Jasper] Cillessen on the bench for four years, come knocking."

Ajax face a huge challenge on Tuesday to overturn a 2-1 deficit in the UEFA Champions League last 16 against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

In the first leg at the Johan Cruyff Arena last month, the Dutch outfit levelled through Hakim Ziyech after Karim Benzema's opener, only for Marco Asensio to score an 87th minute winner to put Real in control of the tie.

De Ligt will be key to Ajax's attempts to turn the tie around. His excellent performances in the Champions League this season have been indicative of just how mature a player he already is:

Ajax have already enjoyed their best Champions League campaign of recent seasons as they made it out of their group for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign.

Real are the three-time defending champions and have won the famous trophy a record 13 times. However, it is not out of the question that Ajax might cause an upset.

Real have been a long way from their best this term after losing manager Zinedine Zidane and star player Cristiano Ronaldo, and they are currently reeling after back-to-back home defeats to Barcelona.