Dimitar Berbatov identifies the defender Man Utd must connect to the transfer window

Dimitar Berbatov has called Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to make Ajax's central defender Matthijs de Ligt his main goal this summer.

De Ligt, 19, is considered one of the best young defensemen in the world and helped the Eredivisie club to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League with the decisive goal in the win against Juventus in the last eight.

The captain of Ajax is expected to leave the Dutch side when the transfer window opens after attracting the interest of many of the best clubs in Europe, including Barcelona and Juventus.

It is also thought that United is interested, Solskjaer seeking to improve his defensive options this summer while he rebuilds his current team.

The former Red Devils striker, Berbatov, believes that the signature of a dominant and compound defender should be the club's priority and stressed that De Ligt was the ideal player to solve United's problems at the 39; rear.

He told the Sun: "Ole needs a central defender who can control the ball, pbad through midfield and not be intimidated – like [Virgil] Van Dijk.

"If I'm an attacker with Van Dijk in my team, I know everything will be fine. They need someone like that.

"For such a young player, De Ligt's performances are incredible.

He continued, "He is mature, comfortable on the ball, and he does not care about who he plays against – Ronaldo or whoever it is. He does not care, he just plays his own game.

"He moves gracefully and does not panic on the ball, he has everything you want from a defender.

"This guy will be an amazing player. It's a great talent and I hope United will pick it up this summer and get it.

Berbatov, who scored 56 goals in 149 caps for United, also warned his former club to let midfielder Paul Pogba leave Old Trafford this summer.

"Why the problem of Pogba?", He added.

"They criticize some players more than others, which is unfair.You can not escape criticism in one form or another – we all have a phone and are on social media.

"Even if you're mentally strong, critics can put you in mind, but when everyone attacks you, we're all human beings, so it can affect your game."

"It's not a robot, but if you do not feel appreciated, what are you doing?

"But leaving would be a mistake," he continued. "I really hope that Ole will tell Pogba that he will build his team around him to give him the confidence to perform at his best.

"I have direct experience of the quality of Pogba when he has been training with us in his childhood and that he is also a good boy."