OFFICIAL: De Jong joins Barcelona
The Ajax starlet will move to the Camp Nou at the end of the current season, with Barcelona paying an initial €75million fee.
The 21 year old has signed a five year contract with the Catalan giants, which will run until the summer of 2024.
After reports this week that President Josep Maria Bartomeu personally travelled to Amsterdam in order to convince the youngster to move to Spain, the parties have now agreed terms for the player to join at the end of the current campaign.
Bartomeu released a post on his personal social media welcoming De Jong to the club. His message read as follows: 'With the arrival of Frenkie De Jong we add talent, youth and Barça style to our sporting project. We are convinced that he will be a key part of our team for years to come. Welcome, Frenkie!'
The €75million sum that Barcelona will pay for the midfielder, signifies that he has now overtaken Virgil van Dijk as the most expensive Dutchman in the history of the game, and is now valued more than 'Oranje' icons Johan Cruyff, Ronald Koeman and Arjen Robben.
De Jong will be the 20th Dutch player to have signed for Barcelona; and given the track record of those that came before him (Cruyff, Koeman and Kluivert) , the club will be expecting big things from the starlet over the next five years.
In spite of last minute ploys from French giants PSG; in which the club offered ridiculous wage figures tempt the youngster, Barcelona have managed to win the race to secure the services of the highly coveted midfielder. In an announcement on the club website, Barcelona proudly stated: "At just 21 years old, De Jong arrives at FC Barcelona after having demonstrated his versatility, vision of play and determination in the last pass."