The calendar for Matthijs de Ligt's transfer to Barcelona
The club are optimistic about their chances of bringing in the Ajax defender
De Ligt's signing for Barca is completely on-track, but it's hard to seal in the next few days because of the Champions League. The Dutch defender said a couple of days ago that he was focused on trying to win the treble with his club and his priority at the moment is the game against Juventus. After that tie is over, things could accelerate quickly.
Barca are designing the operation with his agent Mino Raiola, after the player prioritised a move to Barca. Negotiations are hard but they are advancing and just need an OK from De Ligt. Barca have left little margin for negotiation with Ajax, bidding 60m euros plus objectives, offering the player a five year deal, like the one they gave to Frenkie de Jong. The salary will rise through the contract and have a lot of bonuses based on performance.
De Ligt is convinced that Barca is the best for his career despite having to battle Gerard Pique next season for his place. De Jong being there, a great friend of his, will help too. Bayern and Juve have also drifted away a bit, although Barca think both will make a final effort tosign him. They are prepared, so the deal doesn't get away.
If the deal goes ahead, Barca will seal their squad for next season with two more signings, although there's little financial room to achieve them. They want to get the INs sorted quickly, so they can concentrate on the outs. Some important players will leave.
