De Ligt says rumours to Manchester United should be taken with ‘grain of salt’

Ajax captain Matthijs De Ligt has said that rumours linking him with a move to Manchester United are funny.

The prodigious 19-year-old is currently linked to Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United with Ajax chief executive and former United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar revealing that the Dutch centre-back will most likely end up in England or in Spain.

"Frenkie de Jong is already a Barcelona footballer, while De Ligt I think will go to England or Spain," van der Sar told Sky in Italy before the Spurs defeat.

The 19-year-old is a lot more coy on his future but did say that he found the rumours surrounding his future rather humourous.

"I have read the reports about Manchester United," De Ligt told Fox Sports. "I have seen the salary I would get, too. Would you take it?’ ‘People should take these reports with a grain of salt. The stories are funny though. "Everyone has been talking about my future for a year now. One day I will go there, and the next day I will go somewhere else. I have made quite a tour through Europe haven’t I? "My focus is on the Nations League and after that I will see what will happen."

Meanwhile Ajax sporting director Marc Overmars conceded that his club will "have no choice" but to sell De Ligt and that they're hands are very much tied when the biggest clubs in the world come knocking.

"Matthijs can play anywhere, he can easily play for one of the six best teams in the world. He has incredible gifts: he has strength, mentality and heart. If I worked somewhere else, I’d do anything to sign him. "We don’t need to sell him. We don’t need money, but I know he’ll go to a top club. Selling our best players? We don’t want to, but we have no choice. My job is to manage a top team, but we can’t keep our players if Real Madrid or Barcelona, who can afford to keep [Jasper] Cillessen on the bench for four years, come knocking."