Manchester United and Barcelona transfer target Matthijs de Ligt wins 2018 Golden Boy award

The Dutch defender joins Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe as winners to the award

The Ajax defender joins an illustrious list of winners (Getty)

Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt, who is reportedly linked with a summer move to La Liga champions Barcelona or Premier League side Manchester United has won the 2018 Golden Boy award.

The award, now in its 16th year, is given to the most promising under-21 player in Europe by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport.

The panel, made up of newspapers around the continent, voted De Ligt ahead of his international teammate and Roma winger Justin Kluivert, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, AC Milan forward Patrick Cutron and Real Madrid teenager Vinicius Junior.

Previous winners include names from Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney to Anderson and Renato Sanches, while Paris-Saint German forward Kylian Mbappe took last year’s award.

De Ligt’s form for Ajax has seen him become a regular starter for The Netherlands under Ronald Koeman.

His experience for a 19-year-old and his ability on the ball has attracted interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe and in June he revealed he has a difficult decision to make about his future.

“I’m not in touch with anyone yet,” De Ligt told Italian outlet Tutto Mercato in the summer. “Of course, it’s a real honour to be associated with some big clubs but it does not change for me, I just have to continue to play well.

“I hope I can grow as much as possible and that’s why it’s important to play every week at high levels.

“Who would I choose between Juve, Barcelona and United? It’s difficult, they’re all great teams.

“We must think about it, understand what is the best step to do. At the moment I do not know, I’m on vacation and I can think about it.”

Ajax are reluctant to let the promising defender leave in January but may be forced to let him go at the end of the season should a sizeable offer arrive.