Ajax star De Ligt wins Golden Boy award
Ajax teenager Matthijs de Ligt, 19, claimed the Tuttosport Golden Boy award after receiving the most votes from an international panel.
Coveted Ajax captain and sensation Matthijs de Ligt has been crowned the 2018 Golden Boy as the most promising Under-21 player in Europe. Linked with LaLiga champions Barcelona and Premier League titleholders Manchester City among others, the 19-year-old centre-back claimed the Tuttosport award after receiving the most votes from an international panel.
De Ligt beat Roma winger Justin Kluivert, Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, AC Milan forward Patrick Cutrone and Real Madrid teenager Vinicius Junior to the honour, won by Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé last year.
Barcelona keen on De Light
Netherlands international De Ligt, who is under contract until 2021, has been a revelation since making his debut for boyhood club Ajax in 2016, establishing himself in the heart of the Eredivisie club's defence. A first international call-up followed last year and De Ligt continues to attract interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs, with Barça reportedly at the front of the queue.