Report: Barcelona Makes €60M Offer to Ajax for Matthijs De Ligt
Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt has been the subject of a €60m transfer offer from La Liga champions Barcelona.
The teenage center back, who is one of European football's most in-demand players, has been heavily linked with a move that would see him follow in the footsteps of Ajax teammate Frenkie de Jong by completing a summer move to Barcelona.
Despite recently losing contact with de Ligt following unsuccessful negotiations in November, Sport confirms that Barcelona have now submitted a €60m offer for the defender ahead of the summer transfer window.
De Ligt has been getting positive signals from the Blaugrana over the last few weeks, especially following Ajax's outstanding comeback against Real Madrid in the Champions League knockout stages.
AS added that Barcelona are now in pole position to land de Ligt's signature, with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu identifying the next transfer window as the best time for them to transition into a new era.
While Barcelona could be set for another year or so, veteran Gerard Piqué is nearing the end of his career, while Samuel Umtiti has proven to be difficult to count on due to his injury problems.
Clément Lenglet remains the club's only other senior first-team defender, although Jean-Clair Todibo was brought in from Toulouse early to relieve some of the pressure off the club's defenders during this season's run-in.
Although only three teams in La Liga have conceded fewer goals than Barcelona this season, the club's top brass are well aware that they need to start planning for the future to avoid the same problems Real Madrid are facing this campaign.
