Last Updated: December 31, 2018 11:23 pm
Barcelona have agreed on the terms of a contract with in-demand Ajax youngster Frenkie De Jong, according to numerous outlets.
Ajax prodigy
De Jong, a versatile 21-year-old central midfielder who can also play in defence, made the move to Ajax from fellow Eredivisie outfit Willem II in the summer of 2015.
After struggling for game-time during his first couple of seasons in Amsterdam, De Jong burst one the scene last season, on his way to 22 league appearances.
The youngster even managed to chip in with a hugely impressive 8 assists in the Eredivisie.
Frenkie De Jong challenges Marouane Fellaini during the UEFA Europa League Final between Ajax and Manchester United
And the current campaign has only seen De Jong’s prominence in his home country grow stronger, with the gifted midfielder having played a starring role in Ajax’s 15 wins from 17 thus far in the league, as well as the club’s impressive run to the Last-16 of the Champions League.
In addition, De Jong has racked up 5 caps for the Netherlands since the turn of the year.
Barcelona vs Man City
As such, news that the 21-year-old is being tracked by a whole host of European giants has come as little surprise.
To this point, the two clubs most persistently linked with a move for De Jong have been Barcelona and Manchester City.
However, a report from Spanish outlet Sport last week suggested that the latter of these sides were firmly out of the running for the Dutchman, due to De Jong having confirmed to Pep Guardiola that he has no intention of plying his trade in the Premier League for the time being.
Frenkie de Jong during the UEFA Champions League third round qualifying match between Ajax and Royal Standard de Liege
Barcelona bound
And Sport (via Fotbollskanalen) have since backed their original claim with a further report, which states that Barcelona have managed to secure a deal with De Jong.
The two parties are said to have agreed on the terms of a five-year-deal. This would see the midfield starlet make the move to the Camp Nou next summer.
German outlet Bild, meanwhile, have tonight doubled down on such claims.
All that remains now is for Barca to find a deal with Ajax. This will likely prove no easy task, however. The Eredivisie powerhouse are rumoured to be demanding a fee in the region of 75 million Euro for De Jong. The Blaugrana, though, are hopeful of securing an agreement for closer to 60 million Euro.
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