Barcelona are firmly on course to enjoy a successful campaign this season, but reports claim that they’re sensibly already planning for the long-term future.
Many of the Catalan giants’ senior players are now either approaching 30 or have already turned 30, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets coming to mind and falling into that bracket.
In turn, while they continue to lead the way in La Liga, have a Copa del Rey final to look forward to and remain in the hunt for the Champions League this season, there is obviously not a desperate need to strengthen the squad immediately given the current group are doing a pretty good job.
According to Diario Gol, as re-reported by The Express, it appears as though they’re planning for the future and have Ajax quartet Matthijs de Ligt, Donny van de Beek, Frenkie de Jong and Justin Kluivert on their transfer radar.
Further, it’s suggested that Pique has been made aware of the plan to scout the four youngsters in question, and he has since passed that information on to Messi and Luis Suarez.
De Ligt (18), Von de Beek (20), De Jong (20) and Kluivert (18) are all at the beginning of their respective careers, but they’ve all made positive impacts at Ajax to seemingly lead to interest from Barcelona and suggest that they have very bright futures ahead of them.
Whether the Spanish giants swoop for all four remains to be seen, but it does seem unlikely as the Dutch outfit will undoubtedly hope to keep them at the club for as long as possible having shown such early promise to build excitement about their own future.
From the perspective of the players, they’d arguably be wise to remain in Amsterdam for a little longer to enjoy regular playing time and further develop their qualities and gain experience rather than possibly sit on the bench at the Nou Camp.
However, it’s easier said than done if Barcelona come knocking, and so time will tell if the transfer strategy that Pique has reportedly been made aware of comes to fruition in the near future.