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Frenkie de Jong Wants Matthijs de Ligt Barcelona Transfer Amid PSG Rumours
June 7, 2019
Frenkie de Jong wants to see Matthijs de Ligt join him in making a move from Ajax to Barcelona this summer.
It was announced in January that De Jong would be moving to the Catalan giants in the summer. The midfielder established a reputation as one of Europe's most exciting prospects during 2018/19. De Ligt's future has also been the subject of much speculation, with Barcelona consistently mentioned.
Speaking after the duo were involved in the Netherlands' 3-1 win over England in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals on Thursday, De Jong said he would be happy to link up with his compatriot at club level again next term, per Sacha Pisani of Goal:
"Of course I would like him to come to Barcelona, but we will see what happens. It's up to him. I don't know, it's his decision. You have to ask him about it, but I hope he comes to Barca.
"... Of course we talk about [De Ligt joining Barca]. It's not up to me to say what he's going to do or his thoughts. I don't have an influence on his choice. He has to make it on his own and with his family."
While Sky Sports News reported recently that Barcelona had secured a deal to sign De Ligt, no transfer has been confirmed, and other teams are noted to be in contention.
According to Jonathan Johnson and Julien Laurens of ESPN FC, Paris Saint-Germain are "favourites" to snap up the defender despite interest from the Blaugrana, Juventus and Manchester United.
De Ligt had a mixed game on Thursday, as he gave away the penalty that handed England the lead but headed home the equaliser for the Oranje:
Bleacher Report's Dean Jones praised the centre-back's recovery:
While he's added a prolific streak to his game as of late, the hype around the 19-year-old has gathered pace because of his defensive play.
The Ajax star is mature despite his tender years. Positionally, he's already astute, and when it comes to physical battles, he is rarely bullied by opposition forwards.
He and De Jong are set to make up the spine of the Netherlands team for many years. Statman Dave summed up the impact the latter had in the win over England:
Meanwhile, Miguel Delaney of The Independent had especially high praise for the Barcelona-bound playmaker:
If Barcelona are to sign De Ligt, then it will be another expensive acquisition in what promises to be a summer of big spending for the La Liga champions.
The defender's future doesn't appear to be certain, though, especially given reported renewed interest from PSG. Once the Nations League is concluded on Sunday, it would be a surprise if we didn't get more clarity over the future of one of the game's most coveted starlets.