De Ligt: I am similar to Pique... and Ajax's style is like Barcelona's
El Barça sigue con interés a Matthijs de Ligt, el joven central holandés del Ajax que está deslumbrando desde que debutó con el primer equipo / | ScoutNation
The defender has fuelled speculation about a summer move to Camp Nou
Matthijs de Ligt has a mirror that he looks into. And that is Gerard Pique, who could be his teammate if the negotiations for Barcelona to sign the Dutch defender continue on a good path. And the Ajax man's recent comments encourage the idea that he will end up at Camp Nou.
In a chat with ELF Voetbal Magazine, De Ligt recognises that he's "similar to him [Pique]" saying "I like to carry the ball out from the back, defensively I am strong and, like Gerard, I also started as a midfielder."
De Ligt added: "Ajax's style of play is similar to Barcelona's. High press, a high defensive line and a high level of ball possession. Chiellini, to give and example, is a great defender but Juve's way of playing is different to Ajax. In football, you look at examples who use the same playing style and, to say it a gain, I am a little like Pique."
However, that doesn't mean he can't appreicate other defenders: "In Italy, the defenders are really appreciated. When you speak about Chiellini, Canavaro, Maldini, Baresi, Nesta... they're all defenders that you go the stadium to watch. And that doesn't happen often, that you go to the stadium to watch defenders."
