Ajax have the option to sign Jofre Torrents permanently from FC Barcelona after this season, according to ESPN. Earlier on Wednesday, Mundo Deportivo had already reported that the Amsterdam club will loan the 19-year-old left-back for next season.
Caio Henrique is set to be first-choice left-back next season, with Owen Wijndal behind him. Wijndal could still leave, though, which would make Torrents Henrique's back-up.
Should Wijndal stay, Torrents is likely to focus mainly on Jong Ajax. The move has not been made official yet, but that now looks only a matter of time.
Three days ago, it became clear that Ajax and Barcelona were close to an agreement. The Amsterdam club had tracked Torrents for some time, with Mundo Deportivo first reporting their interest on 22 June. Barcelona were open to a loan from the start because they see a lot of future in the youth international and want him to gain experience elsewhere.
Inside Barcelona, Torrents is highly rated and Hansi Flick again showed plenty of trust in him during pre-season. The defender started at left-back in the friendly against Birmingham last week. Competition in Catalonia means regular first-team football next season looks unlikely, however.
With Alejandro Balde and Gerard Martín, Flick already have multiple options on the left side of defence, while Barcelona are also working on the arrival of João Cancelo. At the same time, Barça Atlètic is no longer seen as the right stage for Torrents' development. Barcelona therefore view a season at Ajax as the right next step.
Last season, the 19-year-old Spaniard made his official debut for Barcelona and went on to play four times for the first team. Flick have a lot of faith in Torrents and want to keep a close eye on his development. That also explains why Barcelona do not want to let him leave permanently.
Torrents spent almost his entire youth career at Barcelona. He joined from Reus Deportiu in 2017 and extended his contract until mid-2028 last year. At the time, the Catalan club described him as a physically strong left-back who can contribute both defensively and going forward.