Barcelona set to confirm La Masia defender’s Ajax move in the next few hours

Barcelona are closing in on another La Masia departure, with Jofre Torrents’ move to Ajax expected to be made official in the next few hours.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the 19-year-old left-back is on the verge of completing his transfer to the Dutch club after Barcelona reached an agreement that will allow the youngster to continue his development away from Catalonia while protecting the Blaugrana’s long-term interest in him.

The deal was expected to be announced earlier, but Ajax’s first match meant the official confirmation was delayed. That wait should now be almost over.

Jofre Torrents set to leave Barcelona for Ajax

Torrents is expected to join Ajax on a permanent transfer after deciding to take the next step in his development away from Barcelona.

The young defender did not travel to Udine with his Barcelona youth-team teammates on Saturday because he was waiting for his future to be resolved. 

Jofre Torrents is set to leave Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

That was a clear indication that negotiations over his departure had reached an advanced stage.

Ajax have been pushing to sign the Barcelona youngster and are now expected to complete the move shortly.

The Dutch club see Torrents as a promising left-back who can continue his development in a competitive environment. 

For the player, the transfer offers an opportunity to gain regular first-team experience and continue progressing at a club with a strong reputation for developing young talent.

However, the move may not necessarily be the final chapter of his Barcelona career, as the Catalan club has structured the agreement in a way that keeps a route back to the first team open.

Barcelona retain control of Torrents’ future

Jofre Torrents will join Ajax this summer. (Picture courtesy: Barcelona official website)

As reported before, Barcelona will retain 50 per cent of Torrents’ rights as part of the agreement with Ajax and will also have a buy-back option.

Simply put, rather than allowing the defender to leave without protection, Barcelona have created a structure that gives them the chance to bring Torrents back if his development in the Netherlands goes as planned.

The arrangement allows the 19-year-old to gain experience elsewhere while ensuring that Barcelona do not completely lose control of his future.

The outlet mentions that there is also interest from Celta Vigo, but the immediate plan is for Torrents to complete his permanent move to Ajax.