Ajax wonderkid Matthijs de Ligt is thought to have told Manchester United to expect a decision from him about a potential move to Old Trafford in the near future.
The Dutchman has been the subject of serious interest from Barcelona for what seems like an eternity, but recent reports have suggested that United are very much in the race for his signature.
Oh Captain... 襤#nummer34 pic.twitter.com/UeSg1Naoa6
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) May 20, 2019
This latest update in the transfer saga comes from The Telegraph, who state that De Ligt will tell United "in the coming days" whether he would be willing to join them, even without Champions League football next season.
Club officials are said to believe that the 19-year-old has already agreed a deal with Barcelona, but they are eager to take advantage of any hesitation to try and lure De Ligt to Old Trafford instead.
There has been plenty of speculation as to why Barcelona are yet to confirm a deal for De Ligt, with the centre-back's wage demands the latest suggestion. If De Ligt has any uncertainty over a move to Barcelona, then United want to do all they can to convince him that a move to England would be better for his career.
The Telegraph add that many in the Netherlands believe that De Ligt should join United over Barcelona, as Premier League football would be better for his development at this stage in his career.
United's imminent rebuild is said to be an appealing prospect for De Ligt, who has already been part of a similar project with Ajax in recent seasons. He would be one of the first names on the team sheet at Old Trafford, but there are doubts over whether he would be offered a similar role with Barcelona.
The Blaugrana see him as the perfect long-term replacement for Gerard Pique and, whilst De Ligt is intrigued by such a role, he also knows that Pique's career benefited from a spell with United earlier in his career.
Pique spent four years with the Red Devils between 2004 and 2008, before ultimately moving back to Camp Nou to take up a place in the first team.
The report claims that a similar career path is being considered by De Ligt, who knows that he still has enough time in his career to turn out for both clubs if he wishes to do so, but he has insisted that no decision will be made until after the UEFA Nations League comes to an end this summer.
Source : 90min