Barcelona have reportedly seen their path to signing Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt this summer clear, as they are now favourites to land his signature.
The Catalan giants remain on course for a treble this season, as they boast a 10-point lead at the top of the La Liga table, have a Copa del Rey final to look forward to and remain in the hunt for the Champions League.
SEE MORE: (Photo) Barcelona star slammed for ‘racist’ comment to Ousmane Dembele
That would suggest that coach Ernesto Valverde has the quality and depth needed in his squad already to compete for major honours, but the reigning Spanish champions appear adamant on strengthening further.
Perhaps with ageing stalwarts needing to be eventually replaced, the club are planning for the long term and that strategy looks set to continue based on this report.
According to Sport, it’s suggested that Barcelona are now in pole position to sign De Ligt this summer, with Bayern Munich diverting their attention elsewhere while it’s unclear if Juventus will make a last-minute bid to try and beat Barca to the punch.
It’s added the club are pushing forward with their attempts to sign him, while the Dutch international is eager to move to the Nou Camp, thus suggesting that it could be a mere matter of time before a deal is struck.
Sport have previously suggested that Barcelona have launched a €60m bid to sign De Ligt, and so time will tell if that’s enough to convince Ajax to sell another of their prized assets.
Should that move go through, that would take their spending this summer well past the €100m mark, as BBC Sport note that they’re set to splash out €75m+ on De Ligt’s current Ajax teammate, Frenkie de Jong.
In turn, Barcelona are evidently not content with their dominant position in Spain as it stands, as they could well be adding pillars for the future who can ensure that their success is maintained for many years to come.
