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It is no exaggeration to state that Matthijs de Ligt is probably the most wanted player in world football right now.
The 19-year-old's career has grown from strength to strength since he burst onto the scene as a precocious 16-year-old in 2016.
Possessing all the attributes of an outstanding centre-back: aggression, pace, intelligence, aerial ability, technique and leadership, his future has been the source of constant speculation for over two years now.
A roll-call of his would-be suitors is like a calling of the creme-de-la-creme of European football: FC Barcelona, both Manchester clubs: City and United, Juventus, Bayern Munich, PSG, Liverpool, Real Madrid and so on.
FC Barcelona had long been seen as favourites due to their established relationship with Ajax. Having already secured the other outstanding young talent; Frenkie De Jong, it was thought that getting de Ligt in would be a matter of WHEN and not IF.
However, the player's agent, Mino Raiola has been hawking his services in a way that may make the Catalans miss out on signing the player. The wage demands; reported to be £240,000-per week is the main stumbling block.
With Samuel Umtiti rumoured to be on his way out, Barca will need another centre-back but given the already bloated salary structure, they can ill-afford to factor in de Ligt's demands.
Here is a look at 5 other centre-backs they could target instead of the Dutch wonderkid:
#5 Manuel Akanji (Borussia Dortmund)
The £15 million fee that Borussia Dortmund paid to get the Swiss international from FC Basel is going to look like a bargain in the coming years.
Akanji was a mainstay of the BVB team that ran Bayern Munich close for the Bundesliga title last season.
Very good in the air and possessing the passing range required of a defender for Barca, he is aggressive in tackling and marking and knows exactly when to take one for the team.
His can-do attitude and fearlessness do not detract from his on-the-ball skills as he is excellent at bringing the ball out of defence. If signed, Akanji could provide the tenacity that was lacking in the team's UCL collapse at Anfield and the Copa del Rey final loss to Valencia.
Despite not being the tallest centre-back in the world, Akanji can be an aerial threat for the team going forward and a bulwark against aerial attacks at the back.
It is unclear just how much Dortmund will ask for him. However, given the bad blood that existed following the Ousmane Dembele transfer, Dortmund are expected to squeeze as much as they can out of Josep Bartomeu, the club's supremo.
#4 Andreas Christensen (Chelsea FC)
The Danish defender has had a mixed stay at Stamford Bridge since he returned to the club from Borussia Mönchengladbach. It was during the 2-year loan spell in Germany that his anticipation, passing, intelligent positioning, and aerial ability shone brightly.
He has struggled under both Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri and could be available to move to the Camp Nou for a fee cheaper than what de Ligt would cost
Given his relatively young age (23), Christensen is a player who still has some way to go before becoming the classy centre-back his talent promises. His composure on the ball could be better. He also needs to get stronger in tackling and body checking opposing attackers.
His style of play is quite similar to that of Gerard Pique, so it would make sense to get him in early and have him bedded as the long-term replacement for the Spaniard.
Christensen is quite good at retaining possession, an asset that would allow the fullbacks time to bomb forward. This would make him an asset in Ernesto Valverde's system.
With their transfer ban looming, it's unclear if Chelsea would be willing to let go a player they cannot replace (especially given the release of Gary Cahill). However, with Kurt Zouma back from his loan spell at Everton, Barca could tempt the Blues with a sizable offer (way below the £65 million Ajax are demanding for de Ligt).
#3 Mario Hermoso (RCD Espanyol)
Hermoso is one of the few quality centre-backs that Spain has produced in the last decade after the earlier golden generation (Sergio Ramos, Pique, Carlos Marchena, Carlos Puyol etc).
Originally a left-back during his days as a La Fabrica product at Real Madrid, his move to the central position has paid huge dividends for both club and country.
Strong in the air and calm on the ball, Hermoso cites Ramos as his idol and could bring Ramos-like qualities to the defence at the Camp Nou.
Very left-footed, he would be more of a replacement for one of Umtiti or Clement Lenglet rather than an other-than-de Ligt option.
His knowledge of LaLiga, young age (23) and relatively cheap price (€40m buyout clause) means it would be a good deal for Barcelona.
However, Real Madrid still owns 50% of his rights and could trigger a buyback clause for just €11 million anytime before the end of the 2019/2020 season when the clause expires.
The Catalans would need to move fast if they want the player to avoid having to deal with their hated El Clasico rivals for the first time since Luis Figo moved to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2000.
#2 Nikola Milenkovic (AC Fiorentina)
One of the other young centre-backs whose star has been on the rise, getting him in instead of de Ligt could be a game changer for the Blaugrana.
A giant of a player (he stands at 1.95m), the Serbian international has alongside Inter Milan's Martin Skriniar and Sampdoria's Joachim Andersen been one of the better young centre-backs in Serie A.
Very strong in the air with a good sense of anticipation and tackling, Milenkovic has been likened many times to fellow Serbian, Nemanja Vidic.
Like the former Manchester United captain, he is aggressive and fearless, willing to put himself into positions where he could get injured in order to get the required results.
However, he is also very cultured as he is excellent at passing out of defence and raking long passes to the forward line (being played as a right back by former Fiorentina manager, Stefano Piolo has helped).
He looks perfect for the Barcelona set-up as he is quick over short distances and will be able to provide an effective shield in front of Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
An asking price of £42 million has been mentioned for the player, this would be a very good deal for the Catalans if they can get it done.
#1 Ruben Dias (SL Benfica)
One of the highly rated youngsters coming out of the stables at Benfica, young Dias has been spoken of in glowing terms and there are already pundits comparing him to the legendary Portuguese centre-back Fernando Couto.
His style of play is more aligned to the cultured style of players like Pique possessing deceptively quick legs and a good passing range.
Dias isn't the strongest in the air just yet and can be guilty of being rash in the tackle. However, like de Ligt, he has shown strong leadership qualities at a tender age.
The young Dias who just made his first-team debut in Liga NOS last season has become an ever-present for the Eagles. He has at his rather tender age of 22, taking the mantle of leading the defence from the recently retired legend: Luisao.
He has a lot of growing to do and will undoubtedly have to step inside the rarefied air of the demanding crowd at the Camp Nou.
However, Dias has shown that he has what it takes to compete at the top level and though his asking price may equal de Ligt's, Barca would not be paying him as much as the Dutchman is said to be demanding.
