Ajax CEO says coveted duo De Ligt, De Jong won't be sold in January

Teams hoping to pry Matthijs de Ligt or Frenkie de Jong away from Ajax next month will apparently have to look elsewhere.

Both players are attracting plenty of interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs, but Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar said neither will be sold in the winter transfer window.

"No, no, no. That's a no," Van der Sar told Tom Hamilton of ESPN FC when asked about the two young stars leaving in January. "We're not going to sell a player halfway through the season. No way. If you have financial difficulties you might look at it, but for us no."

De Ligt, 19, who was named the European Golden Boy winner for 2018 on Monday, has been linked to Juventus and Barcelona, with reports suggesting the defender could cost interested suitors as much as €65 million (£57.5 million).

De Jong, 21, is believed to be a target of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City. The midfielder could reportedly attract bids in the region of €75 million (£66.3 million)

Both players have been influential in helping Ajax advance to the round of 16 in the Champions League, where the Dutch side's been paired with defending winners Real Madrid.