La Liga Transfer News: Barcelona and Real Madrid continue to battle it out for Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek

Barcelona and Real Madrid are reportedly still battling to sign Donny van de Beek as they resume their hunt for the Ajax midfielder after the Dutch giants warded off interest from a series of La Liga clubs last summer.

La Liga rivals remain keen on highly-rated Dutchman

The Netherlands international was heavily linked to both clubs before the start of the new campaign, with Real Madrid reportedly tabling a €35 million bid after failing to sign Paul Pogba from Manchester United.

According to SPORT, Los Blancos have the upper hand over their Catalan rivals when it comes to the 22-year-old's signature and are believed to have already contacted Ajax and the player's representatives over the summer.

Meanwhile, the Blaugrana are not ready to give up the fight just yet as they continue to push for the midfielder, who they believe will form a lethal partnership with Frenkie de Jong in the seasons to come.

Van de Beek in action for Ajax

The Dutchman is now reported to be worth between €50 million (£41.5m) and €60 million (£49.9m), a number that Real Madrid would be more prepared to pay, especially as they continue their search for a successor to Luka Modric, who is entering the twilight years of his career.

Barcelona, on the other hand, have reportedly requested Ajax's sporting director, Marc Overmars, for some time to sort out their priorities in time for the January transfer window.

Ajax have already lost their Eredivisie-winning duo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Frenkie de Jong, and it looks like it will only be a matter of time before they witness yet another Amsterdam exit.

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