Barcelona officials in Amsterdam to close the signing of Ajax defender – report

Noussair Mazraoui seems set to become Barcelona’s third signing of the summer transfer window. Though the transfers of Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie are yet to be officially announced, talks are said to be in the final stages.

According to reports from SPORT, Jordi Cruyff has travelled to Amsterdam to finalize the Moroccan international’s transfer to Catalonia.

Once the sporting director has finalized terms with the player’s entourage, the operation can be closed without any setbacks. It will see the Ajax player arrive at Camp Nou and compete with the likes of Sergino Dest and Dani Alves for a place in the starting lineup.

Mazraoui had several options on the table from the Premier League and even Bayern Munich. However, he was firm on his desire to join Barcelona and consequently rejected the other offers proposed to him.

According to several reports, the Blaugranes are offering the Moroccan a salary of €5 million with add-ons included. With his contract at Ajax expiring in June, he will join the club as a free agent.

The 24-year-old has five goals and two assists in the league alone for his team this season. He averages 81 touches and 1.5 key passes per game. He’s been integral for Ajax in the Champions League as well, setting up two goals.

The right-back is seen as the long term replacement for Dani Alves and is considered a better technical fit than Sergino Dest.

If Mazraoui does join Barcelona, the USMNT star is expected to be put on the market. AS Roma seem like the only team pursuing his signature right now, but it will not be surprising to see others join the race soon.