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Barcelona poised to sign Matthijs de Ligt despite Liverpool and Man Utd interest
BARCELONA have reportedly won the race to sign Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt.
Matthijs de Ligt: Up to him which club to transfer to says Balague
De Ligt, 19, has caught the attention of several clubs across Europe this season with a string of stellar performances at the heart of Ajax’s defence.
The Holland international’s immense talents were on display in the Dutch champion’s run to the Champions League semi-finals.
Manchester United and Manchester City were understood to be interested in acquiring the youngster's services as they are both planning major overhauls of their squad this summer.
Liverpool were also said to be interested in signing the coveted Dutchman, with some reports even claiming they've been in talks with his representatives.
But according to reports, the Premier League trio have lost the race for the defender’s signature.
On Monday morning, Sky Sports claimed La Liga giants Barcelona have reached an agreement to sign the centre-back
If Barca have struck a deal for de Ligt's services, he will join his fellow Dutchman and former Ajax team-mate Frenkie de Jong at the Nou Camp.
In January, it was announced the Catalan club had reached a £65million deal for the midfielder, who has signed a five-year deal with the Spanish champions.
Has it been my last game at the Johan Cruyff Arena? I do not know yet
News of de Ligt’s apparent move to Barcelona comes less than a week after he insisted he hadn’t decided his next move.
"Has it been my last game at the Johan Cruyff Arena? I do not know yet," De Ligt said after Ajax's 4-1 win over De Graafschap.
"There are conversations, but there is still no agreement. With who? The newspapers write, so choose one yourself."
De Ligt was then asked about a move to Barcelona after helping Ajax win their first league title since 2014 but remained tight-lipped on a potential move to Spain.
Ajax: Matthijs de Ligt is 'TOP CLASS' says Stewart Robson
He said: "This is not the time to talk about my future. I don't know if I will go with Frenkie de Jong [to Barcelona]. I still have to analyse things and see everything. We'll see what happens.
"I cannot say anything. We'll see at the end of summer. There is nothing yet."
De Ligt made his Ajax debut in the 2016-17 season at the tender of 17.
The Ajax academy product has made a total of 117 appearances for the Amsterdam club, scoring 13 goals in the process.