Report: Arsenal monitoring young Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt

Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for Arsenal.

Despite being 18 years of age, the Dutchman has already nailed down a first-team spot at the Amsterdam giants and won five Netherlands caps.

De Ligt is highly rated at Ajax, with CEO Edwin van der Sar claiming that the player "looks like he's been [playing first-team football] for six or seven years".

Although the 2017-18 campaign is De Ligt's first as a regular, several clubs are believed to have watched the centre-half in action.

According to The Mirror, the Gunners sent one of their top scouts to watch the defender in action for the Netherlands against England last week.

However, the report goes on to suggest that the Arsenal hierarchy feels that the teenager's market value may now stretch beyond what they are willing to pay.

A young defender is thought to be a priority for the North Londoners this summer, with 19-year-old Greece international Panagiotis Retsos of Bayer Leverkusen also believed to be on their radar.