Barcelona see De Ligt as the first reinforcement of 2018
The Dutch central defender is Robert Fernández's choice to strengthen the back four and according to Mundo Deportivo, Barça are keen to press ahead with the operation.
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Ajax centre-back Matthijs De Ligt is on Barcelona's wishlist to reinforce their back four ahead of next season. According to Mundo Deportivo Barça have even been thinking about bringing the operation forward to the winter transfer window.
Overmars to put brakes on De Ligt leaving Ajax
But to do that, they must first persuade the Dutch club's Director of Sport Marc Overmars but it seems that Overmars, a former Barça player himself, is keen to ensure De Ligt stays where he is, at least for the time being. The Catalans want the 18-year-old as extra cover for the two centre-back positions, where they only have Piqué, Umtiti and Mascherano. De Ligt is seen as one of the great promises of Dutch football.