There's a date for Barça to meet Ajax over De Jong transfer
Barcelona representatives will be in Amsterdam to see Ajax play Sturm Graz on the 25th July
On the 25th July Ajax will face off against Sturm Graz in a Champions League qualifer. This is an important date for Ajax's preparations ahead of next season but it could also be a key moment in regards to Frenkie De Jong's future.
Barcelona representatives are expected to be at the Johan Cruyff Arena for the match between the Dutch and Austrian sides. The message from the club will be for them to try and make inroads on the transfer deal to sign De Jong. The positive conclusion, which will see the midfielder join Barcelona this summer, is shared by the player himself. In an interview with 'Santos' magazine, he revealed he was desperate to play alongside Lionel Messi and perform at the Camp Nou every other week.
De Jong's wish, however, doesn't match that of his current club Ajax. Their director of football, former Barça star Marc Overmars, doesn't want to lose the 21-year-old seeing as he's a key member of the squad and is who the team is being built around. Barcelona won't give up though and hope that talks on the 25th July will force Ajax into entering negotiations for De Jong. Leading up to the match, Barça want conversations with Ajax to resume in order to unblock the current impasse and that on the 25th it'll be a meeting simply to tie up loose details on a permanent transfer.
