Barcelona President: 'I Know What Will Happen' with Matthijs de Ligt This Summer

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has said he knows what will happen with reported transfer target Matthijs de Ligt this summer, while he also stated there will be plenty of movement during the window and the Antoine Griezmann documentary saga in the summer is "water under the bridge."

Per ESPN FC's Sam Marsden, Bartomeu spoke to reporters on Friday, and while he didn't want to expand on the rumours surrounding De Ligt, he did say he has some key insights:

"There will be time to speak about him. Each year the club has an interest in making signings and this summer will be the same. De Ligt, like the other best players, is on the table.

"He is a great player and a great centre-back. I know what will happen with him but it's not the moment [to talk]."

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On Griezmann and his decision to keep the Blaugrana in the dark regarding his decision to renew his contract with Atletico Madrid, until he announced the news in a documentary, Bartomeu said it's all in the past:

"The documentary about his decision is water under the bridge. It was spoken about a lot at the time. We have to look at the present, not the past.

"Each player weighs up what's the best option for them. They make their own decisions. He stayed at Atletico, who are a big club in Europe, one of the best in UEFA's rankings and [the team] we're fighting against for La Liga this season." 

De Ligt's future has been a constant topic of discussion in the Catalan press for months, as the Dutchman is expected to follow current Ajax team-mate Frenkie de Jong to the Nou Camp.

The 19-year-old has so far refuted the relentless stream of rumours, recently calling into question reports he has already agreed to a deal with the La Liga giants:

The Dutch international has also hinted he would love to join Italian giants Juventus, praising both Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci during a recent interview with Tuttosport (h/t AS). Barcelona remain the clear favourites for his services, however, in part thanks to the connection between the Blaugrana and Ajax.

As Marsden explained, Griezmann's potential future with Barcelona has once again become a topic ahead of Saturday's clash between La Liga's top-ranked teams. 

A transfer seemed all but impossible after the France international invited criticism for producing a documentary with Gerard Pique last year, in which he announced his intention to stay with the Rojiblancos. It ended months of speculation regarding a switch to Barcelona, and it didn't sit right with the Blaugrana fans.

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But following a frustrating 2018-19 campaign for Atletico and Griezmann, a transfer is once again a possibility, and the player has reportedly already offered himself to Barcelona. 

It has also been said he's willing to take a pay cut to make the move happen, although that may not be enough to convince some fans:

He'll have an excellent opportunity to convince the Camp Nou and the Barcelona bosses of his talents on Saturday. Atletico travel to Catalonia in excellent form and looking to feast on a Barcelona defence that has been leaky in La Liga the last few weeks. In their last outing, they conceded four goals against struggling Villarreal.

The gap between the two sides is eight points, and Atletico need to win to keep their title hopes alive.