Ajax want €34m for Baas, the left-footed centre-back Barcelona have been tracking for a January move. His market value is estimated at around €17m, so Ajax’s price is double the going rate.

The figure was first reported by De Telegraaf and picked up across Spain and the Netherlands over the past week. No formal bid has been made, and no deal has been agreed.

Barcelona’s interest is defensive: Andreas Christensen, Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde have all spent stretches of this season on the treatment table, and sporting director Deco has been scouting a left-footed option that fits Hansi Flick’s build-up play. Baas, who can play either centrally or at left-back, ticks both boxes.

Baas: ‘the biggest club in the world’

The player himself has not hidden his interest. Asked about the speculation, Baas told VoetbalPrimeur last week that the link was flattering.

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“I think it’s the biggest club in the world. It’s a huge compliment.”

He added that he had seen the reports without knowing where they came from. His contract at the Johan Cruijff ArenA runs until 2028, which is why Ajax feel no pressure to negotiate down.

Verweij: chances are ‘zero’

The twist comes from the same newspaper that broke the price. On De Telegraaf’s Kick-Off podcast, Ajax correspondent Mike Verweij said a January move to Camp Nou is almost impossible for financial reasons, putting the chances at “nul komma nul”, zero point zero.

Verweij’s reasoning, also relayed in English coverage, is that Barcelona’s wage bill and La Liga’s financial fair play limits leave no room for a premium winter signing. Ajax, he argued, would only sell at “the absolute top price”, and only Premier League clubs could realistically meet it.

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Interest from England and Germany has been mentioned in the Dutch coverage, though no club has been named.

For now the state of play is simple: Barcelona want him, Baas is open to the idea, and Ajax have set a number designed to end the conversation. The January window opens on 1 January.

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