Fresh from announcing the signing of Frenkie de Jong this week, Barcelona are reportedly now seriously considering adding Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax too.
As noted by BBC Sport, the Catalan giants are said to have splashed out a whopping €75m+ to prise De Jong away from Ajax, as they will undoubtedly believe that they’ve added a long-term pillar in midfield.
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Given the youngster’s technical quality and style of play, he seems like a perfect fit for the reigning La Liga champions, and essentially, the same could be said about De Ligt too.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the 19-year-old is the subject of talks within the club to formulate a way of affording another big-money signing, with the report adding that the youngster is said to be valued at around €60m.
On one hand, that is a huge amount of money to spend on two talented young players, who have ultimately yet to prove that they can deliver consistently at the highest level. In turn, it will surely come with some concern from a Barcelona perspective.
Nevertheless, it could also be argued that such is the talent that they possess, coupled with the seemingly perfect characteristics they have to slot into life at the Nou Camp, Barca’s investment in the pair could help build a long-term plan around them.
Club stalwarts such as Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Gerard Pique aren’t getting any younger, and so they will eventually have to be replaced.
Arthur and De Jong arguably offer long-term assurances in midfield, and while the Evening Standard note that Jean-Clair Todibo will arrive in the summer, adding De Ligt too will surely give them the solutions required in defence for the foreseeable future.
