Juventus have reportedly joined Barcelona in the race to sign 19-year-old Dutch international Ryan Gravenberch from Ajax.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, the race to sign Ryan Gravenberch continues to intensify with each passing day. The 19-year-old Ajax prodigy is now the subject of interest from Juventus, while Barcelona have been courting him for quite some time now.
Ryan Gravenberch joined the fabled Ajax academy as an eight-year-old in 2010 before rapidly progressing through the ranks at the Dutch club. And such was the impression he made in the youth levels at the club that he broke into the first-team squad at the Johan Cruiff ArenA in 2018 aged just 16.
Over the last three years, the 19-year-old has gone from strength to strength at Ajax, amassing 75 appearances while chipping in with ten goals and eight assists along the way. His progress has also helped Gravenberch in becoming a regular feature for the Dutch national side while capturing the attention of some of the biggest clubs in Europe as well, including Barcelona and Juventus.
The interest from Barcelona makes a world of sense, seeing as Sergio Busquets is in the final phase of his career. While Gavi and Nico Gonzalez are tipped for a bright future at Camp Nou, the young duo are still in the nascent stages of their respective careers and need to be given time to hone their skills.
With Philippe Coutinho and Miralem Pjanic set to be offloaded at the earliest possible opportunity, it will be prudent of Barcelona to bolster their midfield, making Gravenberch a viable target. However, Barcelona are now facing stiff competition from Juventus in pursuit of the 19-year-old Dutch international.
Juventus, like Barcelona, appear to be in need of signing a midfielder amid the uncertainty surrounding Aaron Ramsey, Weston McKennie and Adrien Rabiot. In addition, former Barcelona midfielder Arthur continues to struggle at the Allianz Stadium, which is why it is hardly surprising that they have set their sights on Gravenberch.
Apart from the teenage prodigy, Aurelien Tchouameni is another player on Juventus’s radar and it looks like the Bianconeri are serious about signing a midfielder. As for the pursuit of Gravenberch, it will be interesting to see if either of Barcelona and Juventus can land the 19-year-old or if some other suitor manages to swoop him away from Ajax instead.