Dutch wonderkid Matthijs de Ligt has been urged to join Liverpool by former Netherlands international Rene van der Gijp.

The 19-year-old centre-back already captains Ajax and is tipped to be one of Europe's most sought-after players when the transfer window re-opens this summer.

A Europa League runner-up in 2017, the defender won UEFA's Golden Boy award last year and has already won 13 international caps for the Netherlands national side, lining up alongside Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk and midfielder Gini Wijnaldum.

And having begun to establish himself at the heart of the Dutch's defence alongside Van Dijk, Van der Gijp has urged De Ligt to snub reported interest from the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus in favour of a move to Anfield so the partnership can continue to flourish for both club and country.

"It would be great for Dutch football if those two defenders can play alongside each other for five to six years," he told Dutch outlet Voetbal Primeur.

"Then you are getting the best centre-back pairing in Europe."

Source: Liverpool Echo

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.