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Do Ajax have any chance of keeping De Ligt or De Jong?

Ajax's match against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night is a formality given that the Dutch club ha...



Do Ajax have any chance of kee...
Videos

Do Ajax have any chance of keeping De Ligt or De Jong?

Ajax's match against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night is a formality given that the Dutch club have qualified for the Champions League last-16 already.

It's a huge sign of progress for a European giant that hadn't reached the knockout stages since the mid-2000s.

Following the club's rich tradition, the rebirth is fuelled mostly by the academy which has always produced rich talent for Ajax and the Dutch national team.

This time, the star talents are midfielder Frenkie De Jong and centre-back Matthijs De Ligt. But despite this resurrection, do Ajax have a chance of keeping either of those young talents and sustaining their improvement?

We were joined by Financial Times columnist and football writer Simon Kuper who discussed the club's rise and those two players in particular.

"I'd say it's very likely they both move next summer. De Jong is already lining up that publicly and it was reported in Holland last week quite credibly that he was going to sign for Paris Saint Germain for €75 million, having also previously talked to Manchester City," said Kuper.

"Barcelona had been tailing him for a long time. I mean, really all the big European clubs have watched these two.

For De Ligt, it's not clear. His agent now is Mino Raiola who's been talking to Juventus. Barcelona is another possibility. I mean, it's almost inconceivable, barring a big injury that either of them would still be at Ajax after the summer."

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