Ajax Captain Matthijs de Ligt Talks Future Amid Barcelona Rumours

Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt has said he still needs time to consider his options and does not know whether he will move to Barcelona with team-mate Frenkie de Jong in the summer.

A 4-1 win over De Graafschap on Wednesday saw Ajax seal the Eredivisie title for the first time since 2014:

It is now expected their brilliant young side will be broken up in the summer. Midfielder De Jong has already signed a deal to join Barca, and De Ligt, 19, has been linked with some of Europe's biggest clubs, including the Blaugrana, Liverpool, Manchester United, Juventus and Bayern Munich.

However, he told Fox Sports there is no firm news on where he may be playing come the start of next season (h/t Dejan Kalinic of Goal):

"This is not the time to talk about my future. I don't know if I will go with Frenkie de Jong [to Barcelona]. I still have to analyse things and see everything. We'll see what happens. I cannot say anything. We'll see at the end of summer. There is nothing yet."

Ajax and De Ligt caught the wider attention of Europe this season with their extraordinary run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

They beat Juventus and defending champions Real Madrid on the way and were seconds from sealing a spot in the final before Lucas Moura's late goal for Tottenham Hotspur in the last four.

De Ligt impressed throughout the campaign, showing a maturity that belies his age and proving he could be one of the best centre-backs in Europe over the next decade:

The Barcelona link makes perfect sense given he boasts many of the attributes prized at the Camp Nou, most notably a fantastic passing range, and Gerard Pique is arguably no longer in his prime.

However, the Catalan giants will surely be challenged for his signature, as top-class central defenders are prized assets in modern football.

Ajax are likely resigned to the fact that they are going to lose De Ligt. But the Amsterdam outfit will be able to demand a substantial fee for him, as he still has a contract to 2021.