Ajax centre-back Matthijs de Ligt has said he would be open to joining Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool.

The 19-year-old is van Dijk’s centre-back partner for the Netherlands, and when asked about his teammate, the defender hinted that a move to Anfield was a possibility:

“Virgil [van Dijk] is a player who has experience in the top leagues. Of course, you would want to learn from him. It’s very helpful playing alongside him in the Dutch team.”

“It could happen [joining Van Dijk at Liverpool]. He plays for Liverpool, a good club, but I’m not focused on them. I focus on Ajax and then I’ll see where I end up.”

De Ligt has been heavily linked with Barcelona, along with Manchester City, Arsenal and Bayern Munich in recent months.

Reports suggest that he could cost as much as €75m (£65m) and even though he is a very talented player, it is doubtful that the Reds would make him a priority target for the summer.

Joe Gomez is currently injured but the England international will be van Dijk’s first choice centre-back partner when he returns to full fitness.

The 21-year-old has massive potential and it’s unlikely manager Jurgen Klopp would consider signing a player like De Ligt, who would effectively take his place in the side.