Official: Frenkie de Jong heading to FC Barcelona

Barça is securing its future in the best way possible. Frenkie de Jong, the young midfielder half of Europe was after, has chosen Barcelona as his next destination from Ajax. The signing was formally confirmed this afternoon. The Dutch player has turned down rivals PSG and Manchester City.

After a long saga, the last unexpected move last week by Josep Maria Bartomeu and senior Barça technical sports staff travelling to Amsterdam seems to have paid off. The club must now be rubbing its hands in joy that, from this summer on, it will have one of those footballers with something different about them, a player whose DNA fits perfectly with the team's style.

What you've all been waiting for... pic.twitter.com/gDE1mujMLF

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) 23 janvier 2019

The price is a new record for a 21-year-old: 75 million euros (£65 million; $85 million) plus 11 million in variables (£10 million; $13 million). His contract will last five seasons, until 2024.

This makes him one of the most expensive players the club has ever bought. For the moment, however, no one has yet beaten the 160 million euros they shelled out last winter for Philippe Coutinho. It's also a far call from the 145 million Ousmane Dembélé cost them in total.

@AFCAjax

De Jong, in fact, comes fourth on the most-expensive list for Barcelona, after Neymar Jr. He does come first, however, on the list of most expensive Dutch players ever, just pipping the 85 million Liverpool spent last season on Virgil Van Dijk.

Barça's most expensive signings