Both Manchester United and Liverpool have missed out on signing a top defensive transfer target as Matthijs de Ligt looks likely to join Barcelona for around £60m. The Spanish giants have selected de Ligt as the long-term successor to 32-year-old club legend Gerard Pique and are willing to pay big money to get him.
This £60m fee would be a world-record fee for a teenage defender and at 19-years-old, de Ligt certainly has a lot of room to grow at the Nou Camp. Barcelona’s long-term relationship with Ajax is also thought to have weighted this deal in their favour.
International teammate and Liverpool star Virgil Van Dijk had previously stated that the teenager was on Jurgen Klopp’s radar but it appears the bright lights of Barcelona will be welcoming this prestigious young talent. Manchester United had also place de Ligt on their long list of potential centre-back targets, but they will also have to look elsewhere.
Scouts from across Europe were there to witness De Ligt silence Kylian Mbappe as The Netherlands came out 2-0 winners in their Nation’s League game. However, it appears they may be wasting their time as Barcelona look to have already won this race.
The La Liga leaders are current favourites for the Champions League and are looking like a very impressive outfit this season. However, defensively they are still a little wobbly and will be hoping that de Ligt can come in and provide some defensive security for their wide array of attacking talent.
