Rumor Round-up: De Jong close, De Ligt ruled out

More rumors as the January transfer window opens

De Jong close

Frenkie de Jong is said to be closer than ever to joining FC Barcelona from Ajax, according to Diario SPORT. That's because he has reportedly agreed personal terms with the club. He was said to have bigger offers, but his preference was always for Barça. The club reportedly responded by offering him a long contract with a rising salary, to show him that they believed in him for the future. All that would be left now would be an agreement with the club over his transfer fee.

De Ligt ruled out

This rumor comes from the same source, SPORT: Barça have all but ruled out signing De Jong's Ajax teammate, Matthijs de Ligt. We had already heard that his agent had told him to sign for the club that offered him the best salary, which would surely not be Barça as they wouldn't be drawn into a bidding war. But SPORT says that De Ligt's biggest motivation for not choosing Barcelona is that he wouldn't be a guaranteed starter with Gerard Piqué, not to mention young defenders like Clément Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti, still in the side.

Source: barcablaugranes.com