Barcelona have reportedly lost the optimism that underlined the initial stages of their pursuit of Ajax star Matthijs de Ligt, with growing concern that Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and Bayern Munich are all ahead of them in the chase.
According to ESPN, the demands of De Ligt’s agent, Mino Raiola, may end up pricing the Catalan club out of a move, despite looking like the favourites for his signature for most of the past year.
The La Liga champions reportedly have an agreement in place with Ajax, similar to the one they finalised in January for De Light’s team-mate Frenkie de Jong – a £75 million initial transfer fee, plus add-ons. But they have yet to come to an agreement with the player and his agent, allowing other clubs to enter negotiations with the hope of making a better offer – with La Blaugrana unable to increase their current bid.
They still harbour hopes that the 19-year-old’s reported desire to play for Barcelona will give them an edge, but are increasingly unsure of De Ligt’s intentions.
“We can’t move any more on what we’ve offered,” a Barcelona source told ESPN. “One of the things that could benefit us is the player’s desire to come here, but we will see if that really is what he wants in the end.”
De Ligt captained Ajax to a domestic double, and the club also produced a magical run to the Champions League semi-final before being knocked out by Tottenham in heartbreaking fashion.
The Dutchman’s excellent form to end the season has reportedly led Raiola to increase his demands, both for the fee due to him as well as the wages being offered to his client.
Barcelona are unwilling to change their offer from one that was reportedly agreed in principle in March.
Meanwhile, the Liverpool Echo revealed on Monday that Premier League runners-up Liverpool, who will face Tottenham in next week’s Champions League final, are not in the running for De Ligt, despite having been previously linked with a move.
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