PSG snap-up one of Ajax’s other wonderkids as Mitchel Bakker joins on four-year deal – with Matthijs De Ligt eyed next
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN have snapped-up one of Ajax's other wonderkids, as Mitchel Bakker joined on a four-year deal - with Matthijs De Ligt next in line.
Thomas Tuchel has swooped to bring the 19-year-old left-back to the Parc des Princes on a free transfer, with a move for De Ligt still on the radar.
Both PSG and Manchester United are said to have agreed a fee with Ajax for De Ligt, leaving Juventus out of the running - despite being the player's preferred destination.
Bakker failed to make a first-team appearance for Ajax, but was part of the squad for the Champions League win over AEK Athens.
The teenager did feature 37 times in the second-tier for Ajax's second team, scoring five times - as well as being a regular feature in the Under-19 Eredivisie and Uefa Youth League squads.
But now he will be in Paris after completing his freebie move from Holland to France.
And Tuchel can turn his attention to his No1 transfer target - De Ligt.
SWITCH ON LIGT
European football expert Julien Laurens has claimed Juventus could miss out on De Ligt, with United and PSG having deals in place.
Laurens added it's not in Ajax's best interests to find the 19-year-old his perfect move, but simply get a good deal for their star asset.
Juventus are thought to have offered a meagre £50million plus add-ons for De Ligt - miles adrift of what Man Utd and PSG are believed to have offered.
And Laurens told ESPN FC: "I think there’s a chance where Ajax will lose a little bit of patience and say ‘hang on a minute, PSG agreed, Manchester United agreed.
"In that case we stop talking to you and De Ligt can choose between the clubs that we actually have an agreement in place’.
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"It’s not really in Ajax’s interest to waste a bit more time about De Ligt.
"They want the money in, they want for him to go, he was great for them but now he’s decided that he wants to go.
"They want that deal to happen, they won’t want to have to go back and forth in negotiations with Juventus or whoever else.
"So they might well say ‘do you know what, we already have an agreement in place with some clubs, we’re going to only focus on those clubs and De Ligt would have to choose between those clubs because you’re wasting our time’."