The Ajax teenager is yet to decide which club he will join this summer (Picture: Getty)

Both Louis van Gaal and former Ajax manager Peter Bosz have urged Matthijs de Ligt to snub interest from Manchester United and Barcelona and join Manchester City instead.

The Dutch teenager is at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war this summer, with Barca having been frontrunners for his signature until United made both the centre-back, and his agent Mino Raiola, a more lucrative offer.

Van Gaal, who previously managed at Old Trafford, and Bosz both believe De Ligt would be best placed moving to Manchester – but City rather than United.

Van Gaal would like to see his young compatriot learn under Pep Guardiola (Picture: Getty)

‘I think De Ligt fits perfectly with Manchester City,’ Bosz, who worked with the 19-year-old at Ajax, told FOX Sports.




‘Vincent Kompany is already gone and Nicolas Otamendi is not good enough. Then I would love to see him next to Aymeric Laporte.’

Van Gaal chimed in, agreeing: ‘I think exactly the same. Although De Ligt can go to Barcelona too, because I don’t like their central defenders either.

‘He could play at Barcelona, but he could play for Manchester City also, and in that case I would choose Pep Guardiola over Lionel Messi.’

Bosz gave De Ligt his debut while in charge of Ajax and knows him well (Picture: Getty)

De Ligt is believed to favour a move to Barcelona where he would be reunited with Ajax teammate and good friend Frenkie de Jong, who agreed a move to Camp Nou in January.

United bosses fear their own interest is being used to get a better deal for De Ligt, with the youngster already determined to join Barca, while City are believed to be in the market for a new centre-back and have been linked with Leicester’s Harry Maguire.