FC Barcelona have made the biggest signing of the current January transfer window, as they have completed the signature of versatile midfielder Frenkie de Jong from Ajax.
The Dutchman, 21, will sign a five-year contract with Los Blaugranas, so he will remain with the team until the 2023/24 season. He’s not going to join the squad right away, however, and he will only move full-time to the Camp Nou outfit on July 2019.
It has been confirmed by the club that both the president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, and the CEO, Òscar Grau, were personally involved in closing the deal in Amsterdam.
The signing of de Jong is another one in a long list of Dutch players that have already featured for the Blaugrana side. Everything started with Johan Cruyff, who came to the Camp Nou in 1973, and the last has also included the likes of Ronald Koeman, Patrick Kluivert, Frank de Boer and current first team goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen.
De Jong will have a tough battle if he wants to earn consistent first-team minutes, though. He will compete with Arthur, Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal and Sergio Busquets for a role in the starting XI, but his versatility can help him here. The Dutch international is equally adept to play as a defensive or attacking midfielder, and that should be a huge plus for him going forward.
The cost of the transfer operation is €75 million, plus a further €11 million in variables and add-ons.
