Frenkie De Jong Reportedly a 'Grand Priority' Transfer Target for Barcelona
Key figures at Barcelona are reportedly in agreement that Ajax starlet Frenkie de Jong should be a "grand priority" for the football club in the transfer window next summer.
According to Javier Giraldo of Sport, while the La Liga champions couldn't get a deal over the line for the young Dutchman ahead of the season, he remains on their radar. It means the Blaugrana will likely make their move for the player at the end of the campaign.
"It's hard for everyone to agree in football, but the play and daring of the Dutch midfielder has seduced Pep Segura, Eric Abidal, Ramon Planes, Ernesto Valverde and the rest of the scouts that work for Barcelona," Giraldo noted. "They agree the Ajax midfielder should be Barcelona's grand priority."
Giraldo adds that De Jong has been linked with a number of other major European teams, including Barcelona's big rivals, Real Madrid, and Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs are said to have offered €50 million (£45 million) for De Jong, although Ajax reportedly are holding out for a bid of €75 million (£67 million) for a player whose contract runs until 2022.
When Ajax director of football Marc Overmars was asked about Barca's interest in De Jong in the previous window, he said the La Liga side "didn't value the player sufficiently," per Giraldo.
De Jong has enjoyed a rapid rise with the Amsterdam giants, thriving when used as a centre-back last season. His future is expected to be as a central midfielder, though, a position in which he's started the current campaign well.
Per the FootballTalentScout, the 21-year-old was excellent against world champions France on his senior international debut recently:
That's not a great surprise, as the Dutchman rarely appears fazed, such is the technical ability and intelligence he has showcased in the nascent stages of his career.
De Jong has so many attributes you'd associate with clubs like Ajax and Barcelona. On the ball he's at ease, while he can glide past opponents with a change of pace and unlock the game with an incisive pass. He's one of the most exciting young players Ajax have had on their books for a while.
As Ed Malyon of The Independent noted, the manner in which De Jong operates represents something of a throwback:
In theory, if De Jong keeps developing, he could be an ideal successor to someone such as Sergio Busquets, who still distributes the ball with elegance from the base of the Barcelona midfield.
The chance to move to a club whose principles are so closely aligned with his own would surely appeal to de Jong, although for the time being his focus will be on Ajax and the Netherlands. Provided his career continues on an upward curve, it's easy to see Barca making their move in 2019.
