Barcelona are set to burn off competition from Liverpool for Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt.

The Mirror says Liverpool's hopes of signing £60million Dutch teenager De Ligt have been sabotaged - with the Ajax defender bound for Barcelona.

Despite Kop star Virgil Van Dijk – the world's most expensive defender at £75million – claiming de Ligt is on Jurgen Klopp's Anfield radar, Barcelona believe they have won the race for de Ligt.

Scouts from Europe's top club's were in Rotterdam on Friday to see de Ligt keep Paris St Germain's super-star striker Kylian Mbappe quiet as Holland pulled off a surprise 2-0 Uefa Nations League win over World Champions France in Feyenoord's De Kuip Stadium.

But Barcelona have earmarked de Ligt as the long-term successor to skipper Gerard Pique who will be 32 in February.