Barcelona are believed to be confident of signing Ajax defender Noussair Mazraoui despite links with a move to join Arsenal or Leeds United this summer.
That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who claimed on Twitter that Barcelona think Mazraoui will be bound for Catalunya this summer.
Barcelona have offered Mazraoui a deal worth around €5million-a-year (£80,000-a-week), with around €1million of that being in add-ons.
Bayern Munich are also in talks for Mazraoui but Barcelona are confident he will be joining them and not Bayern – or clubs like Arsenal and Leeds – this summer.
Barca appear to be focusing on signing free agents this summer with Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie also on their wanted list.
Mazraoui, 24, is out of contract at Ajax this summer and seemingly has no intention of staying in Amsterdam.
ESPN reported back in November that both Arsenal and Leeds were both looking to sign Mazraoui on a free transfer this summer.
Morocco international Mazraoui has been in superb form this season, bagging five goals and two assists in 21 Eredivisie games whilst also recording two assists in the Champions League.
That form has unsurprisingly made Mazraoui a wanted man, especially on a free transfer.
Arsenal are seeking competition for Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mazraoui could have been a bargain addition there with Edu seeming additions.
Leeds need some fresh faces at the back, and Mazraoui would have offered an upgrade over Luke Ayling at right back.
Instead, it looks like Mazraoui is heading to Barcelona to join forces with former Ajax teammate Frenkie de Jong – who thinks Mazraoui is a ‘great player’.
Mazraoui looks set to continue the long line of players to move from Ajax to Barcelona, leaving Arsenal and Leeds to go back to the drawing board in search of a new right back.
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