Barcelona Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Matthijs de Ligt and Aleix Vidal

Barcelona are reportedly ready to step up their interest in Matthijs de Ligt and could try to sign the Ajax defender in January, while Aleix Vidal is said to be a target for Roma.

The Catalan giants are confident they can land De Ligt this winter, although Ajax are likely to "demand a hefty fee" for the teenager, per Mundo Deportivo (h/t Jordan Seward for MailOnline).

The 18-year-old forced his way into the Ajax team last season, and they finished as runners-up to Feyenoord in the league and also made it to the final of the UEFA Europa League.

De Ligt is excellent in possession, strong in the tackle and impressive in the air, as noted by WhoScored.com:

However, Ajax may be reluctant to sell midway through the season, particularly having only lost Davinson Sanchez to Tottenham Hotspur in August.

Barcelona have Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Javier Mascherano and Thomas Vermaelen as their senior centre-backs.

If De Ligt were to arrive it could open the door for Vermaelen to leave and secure regular football elsewhere, which he may welcome, particularly ahead of 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Vidal, meanwhile is another player who could depart Barcelona and is wanted by Serie A side Roma, per the Corriere dello Sport (h/t/ Football Italia).

Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

The club's sporting director Monchi has worked with Vidal during their time together at Sevilla and is "working on a deal" that could bring the 28-year-old to Italy in the January transfer window.

Vidal has struggled for starts this season but has now returned to training after recovering from an ankle problem, per Sam Marsden at ESPN FC.

The Spaniard could see game time at right-back, with Sergi Roberto out for five weeks and coach Ernesto Valverde having rotated the Spaniard with Nelson Semedo so far this season, per Marsden.

Monchi may face competition from former club Sevilla, for Vidal, as the Liga side are also interested, per Sport.

If Vidal can stay fit, he may get the chance to prove he has a future at Barcelona, particularly while Roberto is sidelined. However, if he wants to play regular football, he may need to look away from Camp Nou.