Barcelona look to form their very own Dutch colony
- Jordan Russell (@JordRuss96)
Barça director José Mari Bakero has been tasked with monitoring the progress of the Netherlands’ finest young prospects, and has identified no less than four Ajax stars he believes are capable of playing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Philippe Coutinho in Camp Nou: Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong, Donny van de Beek and Justin Kluivert.
De Ligt, who has already established himself as one of the world’s finest young central defenders, has been identified as the ideal long-term replacement for a certain Gerard Piqué, which is high praise indeed when you consider everything the 31-year-old has won since rejoining his boyhood club from Manchester United.
As for de Jong, he has already earned comparisons to the legend that is Frank Rijkaard due to his ability to play with incredible calmness on the ball in any given position on the pitch. His positional sense and reading of the game is second to none, which is why the Spanish league leaders are so determined to sign him before anyone else does. Manchester City and Arsenal have also been credited with an interest.
Van de Beek is very much an archetypal Dutch midfielder. He is technically superb, while his passing range is absolutely fantastic for one so young. It is no wonder he is widely considered to be the ideal player for Ernesto Valverde to work with as the club’s new long-term project takes shape. Kluivert, many will argue, is predestined to play for Barcelona given how gifted a striker his father Patrick was. Though a less physically imposing presence than his senior, he is more pacy and skillful and has been dubbed the next Arjen Robben by some local journalists.