21-year-old Netherlands international will cost Barca an initial £65m, having cost Ajax £260,000 in summer 2015
Wednesday 23 January 2019 19:20, UK
Barcelona have confirmed Ajax star midfielder Frenkie de Jong will join the club on July 1.
The 21-year-old joins for a fee of £65m (€75m) with a further £9.5m (€11m) in add-ons and has signed a five-year contract until the summer of 2024.
De Jong, whose reported suitors included Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, is considered to be one of the best young players in world football.
De Jong originally broke through the youth ranks at Willem II and joined Ajax for £260,000 in the summer of 2015, but was loaned back to the fellow Eredivisie side for one season.
He then went on to spend one year in Ajax's youth side before being promoted to the first team towards the end of the 2016/17 season, appearing in the final minutes of the UEFA Europa League final which they eventually lost to Manchester United.
The midfielder made his senior international debut in a friendly win against Peru in June, winning on five more caps since then, and has played 16 times for Ajax in the Eredivisie this season, scoring four goals.
Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal admitted on Monday the club were waiting for an answer from De Jong on whether he wants to join them.
The five-time Champions League winners have already made two signings in January, with Kevin-Prince Boateng moving from Italian side Sassuolo on a six-month loan deal with an option to buy, and defender Jeison Murillo also joining on loan from Valencia.
