Manchester City have reportedly decided to try to place themselves at the head of the queue for Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt.

The 19-year-old is expected to leave the Dutch giants during the summer transfer window, and there will be no shortage of interested teams.

Barcelona have been linked with an approach for the Netherlands international, but according to the Daily Mail, the Catalan giants are unlikely to be able to afford the player.

The La Liga leaders have recently spent heavily and priority is likely to be placed on bringing in a long-term replacement for Luis Suarez, leaving Man City in a position where they could lead the race for De Ligt.

Juventus are also said to be keen on the prospect, who is expected to cost in the region of £75m.