Barcelona Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Matthijs De Ligt, Andres Iniesta

Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing Ajax starlet Matthijs de Ligt.

According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t The Sun's Richard Forrester), manager Ernesto Valverde is hoping to inject some youth into Barca's ranks and plans to nurture him at the Camp Nou.

The 18-year-old centre-back enjoyed a breakout season last year as he established himself in the Ajax side with 23 appearances in all competitions.

The teenager also played every knockout game in the UEFA Europa League from the last 16 onward including the final against Manchester United.

While his side lost, De Ligt nevertheless put in a composed performance, as Squawka Football demonstrated:

It was perhaps unsurprising the Dutchman was so assured on the pitch, as he appears to be level-headed off it, per football writer Michiel Jongsma:

His form also earned him his first two senior caps for the Netherlands, and he has made a positive start to this season.

According to Squawka, in five Eredivisie matches this term he has won 20 aerial duels, made 11 interceptions and 27 clearances, and he has also maintained a 91 per cent passing accuracy.

Barcelona could do with more cover at the back as Javier Mascherano is now 33, while Thomas Vermaelen's struggles for form and fitness since his move to the club make him an unconvincing option.

Gerard Pique is also 30, so lining up a long-term replacement for him will be necessary in the coming years. It's still early days for De Ligt, but he has the potential to become an excellent player.

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Meanwhile, according to Marca's Luis F. Rojo, Barca have "laid the groundwork for an agreement" with Andres Iniesta over a new two-year deal with rolling one-year optional extensions.

The Blaugrana hope for the Spaniard to stay at the club until he retires before adopting a non-playing role at the Camp Nou, but the deal would also allow him to move on if he received offers from MLS, the Chinese Super League or Qatar.

Iniesta has been a fixture at Barcelona for over two decades:

While at 33 his powers have diminished slightly, he's still capable of some majestic performances and showed as much in Barca's 3-0 win over Juventus in the UEFA Champions League earlier in the season.

He still has much to offer at the club, so it's important they tie him down for the remainder of his twilight years.