#2. Mathijs De Ligt
When it comes to rating the finest young defenders in Europe at the moment, there is no doubt Ajax wonderkid, Mathijs De Ligt belongs in a class of his own, courtesy of his amazing displays at the heart of Ajax's defence since a very long time.
After winning the Golden Boy award recently for his incredible performances at the Amsterdam Arena it comes as no surprise to see many European elite clubs going head-to-head in their bids to overtake one another and earn the signature of the highly talented Dutch International.
According to the rumours, many clubs are keeping tabs on the centre-back's situation at the moment but the likes of Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint Germain, and Manchester City are reportedly leading the race to lure De Ligt from the Eredivisie at some point this year.