When Barcelona comes knocking for a player, there are many clubs out there that fear for the worst. Of course, there's money to be made from the transfer, but they've probably embraced the idea that they're about to lose their player to the Spanish club.
It should come as no surprise that Barça have their eye on talent in different leagues, looking to reinforce a squad that already features world-class names in its abundance.
If we're going off recent reports, the reigning La Liga champions have an interest in one of Serie A's rising stars and another in Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly.
It looks like Barcelona have even more names on their radar, with one of them being an up-and-coming star in the Eredivisie.
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Mundo Deportivo reports that the club have started negotiations with Ajax over a potential deal for Matthijs de Ligt.
The 19-year-old Dutch centre-back has broken into the club's first team and made over 40 appearances, as well as being capped for his national team.
It won't be easy for Barça to pry him away from the club, though, with the Spanish newspaper suggesting that the deal could reach €70m (£61m) after add-ons and bonuses.
That's not the only issue that Barcelona would face. According to the Metro, De Ligt's contract with his current club doesn't expire until June 2021 and means that Ajax could play hardball with any kind of deal.
Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde will no doubt be keen to land the Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur target to boost his back-four options.
Samuel Umtiti picked up an injury last month, leaving the 54-year-old manager without one of his first-choice centre-backs.
Barcelona are second in La Liga and will face current leaders Sevilla on October 20th at the Camp Nou.
Should Barça sign de Ligt in the January transfer window?
Let us know in the comments.
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Topics: Football News, Matthijs de Ligt, Football, Barcelona, Ajax