Jasper Cillessen Reveals Desire to Leave Barcelona But Insists Matthijs de Ligt Should Consider Move

Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen has admitted that he hopes to leave the club in the summer in search of regular game time, but insisted his situation shouldn't prevent Ajax starlet Matthijs de Ligt from considering signing for the Blaugrana.

The Dutch goalkeeper joined Barcelona in the summer of 2016, but has operated as a backup to Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who has dominated the starting lineup at Camp Nou.

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Speaking to Ziggo Sport, Cillessen confessed his time at the club is coming to an end in the near future.

He said: "First I will go on holiday and then I hope to have a new club where I can play, because I want to play."

Cillessen has made just 28 appearances for Barcelona during his three-year spell at the club. However, the vast majority of his appearances have been in cup competitions, and he has just two La Liga appearances to his name.

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Despite his own struggles at the club, Cillessen still insisted that Dutch teammate De Ligt should move to Barcelona, insisting it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"I know Frenkie de Jong is coming, but is the De Ligt thing true? In any case, if you have the chance to go to Barcelona, you have to take advantage of it," Cillessen added.

Ernesto Valverde's side have been heavily linked with De Ligt in recent months and are thought to be leading the race for his signature, ahead of the likes of Juventus, Bayern Munich and Manchester City. However, should the Ajax starlet join the club, he may miss out on the chance to link up with Cillessen, who appears to be nearing the exit door at Camp Nou. 

There is no news as to where the goalkeeper could end up, although he has previously been linked with a whole host of elite sides, including Liverpool and Arsenal, but neither would likely be able to offer Cillessen the first-team football he is looking for.

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Crystal Palace and Newcastle United have also been linked with the Dutchman in the past, and a move to either could prove to be an appealing prospect for Cillessen.