Patrick Kluivert has advised his son Justin Kluivert to snub interest from Manchester United and join Barcelona when he leaves Ajax.
As reported by The Sun, Patrick Kluivert wants his son Justin Kluivert to emulate him and join Barcelona when the time comes for him to leave Ajax. The teenage prodigy has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United.
Justin Kluivert has so far embarked on a footballing journey similar to his father Patrick Kluivert, who graduated from the fabled Ajax academy himself before enjoying a successful senior career, with his stint at Barcelona being the most notable and productive one.
The 18-year-old made his first-team debut for Ajax last season and has since firmly established as a key figure for the Dutch outfit. This season, Justin Kluivert has made 30 appearances across all competitions for Erik ten Hag’s side, with a respectable return of 8 goals and 4 assists to show for his efforts.
His progress has unsurprisingly piqued the interest of several clubs, and Manchester United are the most high profile outfit that have been linked with the player, although the 18-year-old has himself denied those links.
Manchester United though, seem to be in the market for another attacker despite the arrival of Alexis Sanchez in the January transfer window. The Chilean’s addition has stacked the left side of attack, where Kluivert primarily operates from.
But, the teenager can also play on the right flank equally adeptly, which perhaps explains why Manchester United might be interested. Justin Kluivert’s father, Patrick, however, has advised his son to snub the interest from the Premier League heavyweights and join Barcelona instead.
“He’s now a first XI player. If he’s playing like this in the long-term, he could be one important player in the future. Of course, I prefer that he goes to Barcelona but in football everything can happen. He’s an adult, he can make his own decisions but he’s already said it’s a dream for him to play for Barcelona. But you never know in football.”
Patrick Kluivert had enjoyed a tremendously successful six-year stint with Barcelona during his playing career, scoring 122 goals in 257 appearances to become a legend in his own right at Camp Nou. His comments also suggest that his son is also eager to represent the Catalans sometime in the future, which would be a bitter blow to Manchester United.
In the near future though, Justin Kluivert is likely to stay put at Ajax instead of joining Barcelona or any other club, considering his own comments as well as his father’s. The Blaugrana themselves do not seem to be interested as of now, and it will be interesting to see if they set their sights on him.
But, it remains to be seen if Manchester United can manage to sign the 18-year-old if they make a concrete offer for him, be it in the near future or otherwise.
