Barcelona are closing in on an agreement to sign Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt this summer, according to a report in ESPN FC.
The 19-year-old has been the captain of the Amsterdam-based club for over a year and has starred for club and country.
Widely regarded as one of the best upcoming talents in world football, the central defender is set to command a €75m fee from Ajax.
The report claims the player prefers a move to the Blaugrana ahead of Juventus and Bayern Munich – who are both monitoring the defender’s situation.
The Eredivise side have qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League with de Ligt heading the winner at Juventus on Tuesday night.
There was hope at the Catalan club that the €85m agreement with Ajax teammate Frenkie de Jong would help persuade his compatriot to join the Camp Nou.
