Matthijs de Ligt - the most sought after defender in world football
Netherlands has been the birthplace for young and exciting talent in world football with a steady flow of talent streaming in from clubs like Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord. These clubs have nurtured some of the most exciting talents, only to see them earn a big money moves to a premier clubs in Europe. Since 2015 they have sold nearly £200 million worth of talent from their esteemed academy and that number is increasing.
This list of major sales in the last few years includes Christian Eriksen, Thomas Vermaelen and Toby Alderweireld, all of whom have gone on to excel in their careers. This season has seen a similar trend with Ajax giving prominence to several academy graduates, including van de Beek, Frankie de Jong and De Ligt. While the former have shown their abilities the one that has stood out with his spectacular performances and commanding presence has been the centre-back Matthijs de Ligt.
The prodigy has been linked with a host of European heavyweights this summer, including the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona, PSG and Juventus. These teams are mainly on the look out to refresh their defensive setups and could use a fresh injection of youth to do so. De Ligt ticks all the boxes in this regard and possesses the skillset required by a modern centre-back. His intelligence, creativity, power, pace and leadership are his main assets and they have been on show throughout the season.
Leader in the making
The reason why De Ligt is so sought after is because possesses great technical ability and a high footballing IQ. His capability to combine astute positional awareness and strength is a skill rarely seen in players of his age and was on show in the pivotal Champions League games against Real Madrid and Juventus. His 1.4 clearances per 90 minutes in the Champions League is proof of this and is right up there with the best in Europe. This can be attributed to his ability to break up opposition attacks when they are under pressure, or to efficiently dispatch any loose balls in the box.
While these skills are desirable in any centre-back, De Ligt’s standout quality is his leadership. His ability to organise a defence at just the age of 19 is unparalleled and has contributed to 15 clean sheets in 38 Eredivisie games. What’s more impressive is the manner in which he is seen barking instructions to his teammates, this is reminiscent of legendary Italian stalwarts Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. No wonder Juventus are hot on his heels, as replacing Chiellini is no easy task.
Positioning
Another quality that makes De Ligt stand out amongst the rest is his ability to be in the right place at the right time. This affords him the time to make better decisions and more often than not he is able to usher the ball out of play with a well timed tackle. This type of movement and decision-making ability is rare among young players and is usually seen in more experienced practitioners of the game.
The reason for this excellent positioning is his ability to read the game according to situation. He is not only able to calculate risk and step up and off when he needs to but also able to use his excellent tackling, marking and aerial ability to diffuse opposition counter-attacks. This cannot be understated as it is difference maker in games and can send the opposition into a state of flurry and disorganisation. This along with his one-on-one play is key to his development going forward, whether it comes to marking, tackling or dropping deep.
Ball playing abilities
The Dutch centre-back is an excellent ball carrier and is an important component in the build-up phase for Ajax. His adept ball handling abilities ensure that he never shies away from a dribble and more often than not can beat his man when advancing further up the pitch. This forces the opposition to pay attention to him and leaves an attacking player open either through the centre or the wings. When pressured in such a situation, De Ligt not only has the skills to switch play but also also play an accurate pass to the open man. This is something we’ve seen the likes of David Luiz and John Stones do successfully and is a great skill for a young CB to have.
Future Trajectory
All in all, De Ligt may still be relatively young but the Dutch academy star is on the cusp of greatness. It is only a matter of time before he ends up as the captain for his club and country. In a transfer market notable for its shortage of astute modern defenders De Ligt represents a gamble worth taking. The question that he needs to answer though is whether he will be able to adapt to the league he ends up getting transferred to. There is no reason to think otherwise at this moment however things can change very fast in football.
One positive from all of this however is the fact that De Ligt is one of those very few players that have been able to showcase glimpses of both old school and modern defending. This is a skill that will help him cope with the speed and physicality of some of the elite leagues in Europe along with the Champions League. One things for sure, with Ajax looking to build another squad of marketable and profitable assets, it is understandable why Matthijs de Ligt wants a new challenge and one can only hope he succeeds wherever he goes.
