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What's the rumor?
The Ajax duo of Mathijs de Ligt and Frenkie De Jong, aged 19 and 21 respectively, have prioritized Barcelona as their next destination, on the condition that both of them join the club together, according to Fernando Polo and Roger Torello of Mundo Deportivo.
The rising stars of Eredivisie are the hottest prospects in Europe at the moment and find themselves being courted by European behemoths like Manchester City, Paris St-Germain and Bayern Munich.
In case you didn't know...
Mathijs de Ligt, who is the homegrown product of the famed Ajax academy, was handed the captain's armband last season when he was just 18 years old. He is also the youngest ever player to make his national debut aged just 17 years and 222 days, since 1931.
Both of them have already established themselves as first team regulars for the Netherlands national team.
The heart of the matter...
The Spanish outlet, Mundo Deportivo reported that, the duo have not made a decision about their futures yet, but it is understood that they would like to continue playing together.
With more than two years left on their contracts, the pair doesn't want to rush in choosing their future destinations, but as of now are waiting for an offer from Barcelona, which is said to be a club, that both of them have earmarked as the best place for their development.
Last month, reports emerged about Barcelona's director of football, Eric Abidal and Ramon Planes having met with Mino Raiola, De Ligt's agent, in Amsterdam and about a personal conversation between Abidal and De Jong, suggesting the club's desire to secure the signings of these future superstars.
The club has a long history of signing players from the Dutch capital and the relation between the two clubs is said to be good at the moment. So, if Barcelona could offer a joint offer in the range of €140 million, the duo might end up playing in the Red and Blue jersey next summer.
Rumor rating: 6/10
Mundo Deportivo is a reliable source when it comes to stories related to Barcelona. Also, Fernando Polo and Robert Torello are reputed journalists, with a proven track record of accurate Barcelona transfer news.
But, with Paco Alcacer joining Borussia Dortmund permanently, Valverde's main priority has to be finding a long-term replacement for Luis Suarez soon and thus it will be a challenge for the club will splash a sum of €140 million on the two youngsters next summer.
Matthijs de Ligt - Replacement for Pique?
Frenkie de Jong - The next Barcelona Midfield maestro?
What's next?
Barcelona's management knows that making a joint offer to sign both players is their best bet to secure the duo, rather than approaching the club separately for each of them.
But, Blaugrana must be ready to pay at least €140 million, if they want to bring the duo to Camp Nou ahead of the likes of PSG, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, with De Jong rated at €75 million and De Ligt rated at €65 million.
