La Liga rumours: Dutch prodigy agrees to arrive at Barcelona amid interest from Juventus
What's the story?
Barcelona close in on another Ajax prodigy, Matthijs De Ligt, after fending off interest from Bayern Munich.
According to Spanish media outlet, Sport, the Ajax captain has already agreed to arrive at the Nou Camp this summer and barring a last-minute obstruction from Juventus, Barcelona are clear to close the deal.
In case you didn't know...
The 19-year-old Dutch center-back has garnered huge interest across all of Europe due to his majestic performances for both Netherlands and Ajax.
With superior defensive abilities, De Ligt is the latest talent to come out from famed Ajax academy and won over pundits and critics with his leadership. The defender has displayed his calibre against top sides like Real Madrid and Germany this campaign and has been one of the talents to watch out for in Europe.
It is an open secret that big clubs were keeping tabs on the Ajax prodigy and were keen to secure his service.
Barcelona are currently sitting atop the La Liga table and are looking to win everything there is to win this season. The Catalan giants have already secured the signature of De Ligt's teammate Frenkie De Jong in the winter transfer window.
The heart of the matter
There is no doubt that a tug of war was going on between Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus over De Ligt.
According to the report, De Ligt, like his friend De Jong, already agreed to play for Barcelona next season. Despite making a sensational bid, Bayern Munich has pulled out of the race to sign the Dutch center-back as the Blaugrana are closer to seal the deal.
Barcelona board made it clear that they would not raise their offer despite the player's agent making it clear about other offers. The relation between Ajax and Barcelona is good and the Dutch club decided to respect their player's decision.
Rumour rating: 6.5/10
It looks likely that De Ligt will leave Ajax in the summer and Barcelona remains in pole position to land the defender.
What's next?
Both parties are trying to close the deal before Ajax's quarterfinals against Juventus, according to the report. Ajax will take on FC Emmen and Willem before they play Juventus in the Champions League next week.