Barcelona pair lay groundwork over deal for €70m Man Utd target

Manchester United target Matthijs De Ligt should consider a move to Barcelona as talks over his transfer to Juventus continue to drag on.

That’s the view of De Ligt’s former Ajax teammate Frenkie De Jong and Barcelona’s president Josep Bartomeu, as the €70m-rated defender’s hopes of joining Juve continue to get over the finishing line.

Teenage defender De Ligt has become one of European football’s most wanted men this summer, with Juventus seemingly set to win a long-running transfer saga that had also seen PSG, Barcelona and United mentioned as suitors.

However, it’s claimed that Juve are struggling to agree a fee with Ajax for the centre-half, having had an initial €55m offer, with a further €10m made up in bonuses, rejected by the Dutch giants.

But Ajax’s €70m asking price is no issue to both PSG and United, who are, according to a transfer expert, the only two sides to have an agreement in place with the Eredivisie outfit over De Ligt.

And now De Jong, who was presented to the media on Saturday after his move to Barca from Ajax was completed earlier this year, has opened the door for a move to Barcelona for his former teammate after admitting he’d love to see him also move to the Nou Camp.

“Of course I would be happy to see De Ligt here,” De Jong said.

“However that decision is not up to me.

“He has to make the decision that is right for him and for his family, so we will see where he goes.”

 

Barca president Josep Bartomeu was also asked about the De Ligt situation, during De Jong first press conference at the club, and he reiterated the club’s stance.

“I have said for that I know where De Ligt will be playing next season, and I maintain that.

“I have read that Juventus are having problems negotiating with Ajax, so we will have to wait.

“When the time is right for the announcement, the player will do so, but I am confident that I already know where he will be playing.”