Barca Eye Summer Swoop for Ajax Wonderkids as Catalan Giants Ramp Up Griezmann Interest

Barcelona are ready to raid Ajax for two of their wonderkids as they ramp up their interest in Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann.

Mundo Deportivo has reported that the current La Liga leaders are eyeing fresh blood as Ernesto Valverde looks to improve his senior squad after their shock elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Roma earlier in April.

Barca's interest in Griezmann is well known after months of speculation has linked the Atleti striker with a £100m move to Camp Nou in the close season.

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But it is the information concerning Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong - two products of Ajax's famous youth academy - which will draw the attention of Barca fans, and Mundo Deportivo has claimed that summer swoops for that duo may also be on the cards.

De Ligt and de Jong have lit up the Eredivisie ever since they broke into the first-team fold at the Ajax Amsterdam ArenA, and their growing reputations in Europe have piqued the interest of La Blaugrana.

Barca have sent scouts to watch the pair in action throughout the current campaign, and sporting director Robert Fernandez is even believed to have run the rule over them in person to determine whether their signings should be made a top priority this summer.

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Valverde's side want to move quickly to secure de Ligt and de Jong amid interest from other European heavyweights, and their arrivals would certainly help strengthen the bonds between Barca and their Dutch ties that stretch all the way back to Johann Cruyff's time in Catalonia.

De Ligt is a 19-year-old centre-back who would be an ideal long-term replacement for Gerard Pique in the heart of defence, while 20-year-old de Jong's talents make him a natural replacement for club legend Andres Iniesta, who may yet to leave Barca when his contract expires in July.

Gremio starlet Arthur is already due to jet in to become Barca's first official signing of the summer, and the 21-year-old - alongside January recruit Yerry Mina and the possible arrivals of Ajax's wonderkids - would help usher in a new era of top young talent for Barca.