Patrick Kluivert to Son Justin: Pick Barcelona Despite Manchester United Rumours

Barcelona legend Patrick Kluivert hopes his son Justin Kluivert will pick the Blaugrana when he decides to leave Ajax, amid rumours Manchester United are the favourites for his signature.

Speaking to Omnisport (via Peform, h/t AS), the former striker added his son has already said playing for Barcelona would be a dream:

"I'm very proud of him. He's doing very good at Ajax. He's now a first XI player. If he's playing like this in the long-term, he could be one important player in the future. Of course, I prefer that he goes to Barcelona, but in football everything can happen. He's an adult, he can make his own decisions, but he's already said it's a dream for him to play for Barcelona. But you never know in football."

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The Perform report said United lead the queue of clubs interested in the player. However, Kluivert senior isn't the only one who has urged him not to move to the Premier League this summer, as former Everton manager and current Netherlands national team boss Ronald Koeman wants him to stay in his home country:

The 18-year-old made the step up to Ajax's senior team in 2016 and has steadily worked his way up the pecking order since. While he's not yet an automatic starter, he has beaten out Amin Younes to make the bulk of the starts out wide this season.

Kluivert has flashed mouthwatering potential at times, thanks to his combination of technical ability and tremendous athleticism. Like his father before him, the teenager often appears to be operating at a more advanced level than those around him, thinking faster than them and moving accordingly.

Bleacher Report's Tom Williams looked into Kluivert and found he combines several key elements from some fantastic players:

Kluivert is not expected to leave Ajax this summer, and for the sake of his development, that's probably for the best. Ajax have a fantastic reputation for nurturing talent, particularly forwards, and the winger is getting the consistent minutes he needs in Amsterdam.

He's surrounded by friends and family at his country's biggest club and taking his first steps with the national team. At the age of 18, he would be better off taking the patient approach and continuing on his current path, rather than risk a move abroad before he's ready.

For all his talent, Kluivert has only scored seven goals in the Eredivisie this year. That doesn't even put him among Ajax's top-five scorers, a clear sign he still has much to learn.