Shaun Wright-Phillips believes the Ajax centre-back, Matthijs de Ligt, would be an ideal signing for Manchester City this summer.
The Blues have still to agree a new deal with club-captain Vincent Kompany, while fellow defender Nicolás Otamendi is said to be mulling over his future at the Etihad amid a lack of opportunities.
De Ligt, 19, is among the most coveted talents in Europe after a stand-out campaign in the Champions League, with Barcelona reportedly leading the way for his signature.
"[Liverpool defender, Virgil] Van Dijk!" Wright-Phillips joked, when asked who City should target after the Blues pipped Liverpool to the Premier League title.
"In seriousness though, De Ligt from Ajax would be a great move, and considering he’s only 19, he’s a top class player, and very intelligent for his age.
"With the way Ajax play passing football, he would 100% naturally slot in to the City side."
Four Man City stars named in England squad for Nations League finals
Man City Champions League fate depends on these people
De Ligt captained the Eredivisie outfit to the semi-finals of the Champions League before Tottenham Hotspur staged a remarkable comeback in the second-leg at the Johan Cruyff Arena to secure a final berth against Liverpool.
City were knocked out at the quarter-final stage by Spurs on away goals, and Wright-Phillips feels the Blues must improve their showings away from home in Europe's premier competition to break their duck in the competition.
"This year was hard as Spurs played very well in that game, but I think it was also harsh on City as we had chances to put the game away and didn’t take them," he explained.
"We all know what football is like – if you don’t take your chances against the big teams, you’ll get punished.
"In the first leg we had the penalty and a few other chances that we missed and end up losing 1-0 and it was the away leg that killed City."
Shaun Wright-Phillips was speaking exclusively to AmericanGambler.com
