Barcelona ‘further away’ from Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt

Barcelona are ‘further away’ from completing the signing of Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt compared to last month, according to a report in El Mundo Deportivo.

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 €70m fee from Ajax.

Earlier this week, a report in Marca stated that “the agreement with all parties is almost a fact” while it is said that salary will not be a major issue, but now the Catalan outlet disputes this.

It is claimed that the defender is doubtful over his prominence at the Camp Nou, with Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti already offering cover in his position.

There has been 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.

De Ligt starred in his side’s run to the Champions League semi-finals, heading in the winner in the quarter-finals at Juventus before also netting in the last four against Tottenham.

Juventus and Bayern Munich are also both said to be monitoring the defender’s situation, with a summer move appearing increasingly likely.

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