Ajax is reportedly collecting an amount of around twenty million euros for the sale of Sergiño Dest to Barcelona; a transfer fee that can increase due to bonuses. According to journalist Joan Domènech, Ajax will only see a large part of the fixed transfer fee appear in the bank account next year. The Spaniard claimed late on Sunday evening that Barcelona will only transfer ‘a symbolic amount’ this calendar year.

The corona crisis has hit Barcelona financially in such a way that a lot of puzzling had to be done to reach an agreement with Ajax. The sale of Nélson Semedo for thirty million euros to Wolverhampton Wanderers did not ensure that the Spanish club could immediately follow through. As a result of the financial support during the height of the corona crisis, Barcelona can spend only a quarter of its transfer revenues due to agreements with the Spanish government. This currently applies to 34 of the 42 professional clubs in Spain. At these clubs, LaLiga has determined that the gross costs of the A-selection are higher than allowed.

In the case of Semedo, Barcelona was therefore only allowed to spend 7.5 million euros of the transfer fee of 30 million euros on a possible new player. It is unlikely that this is ‘the symbolic amount’ that is already heading for Ajax. Domènech states that Barcelona will pay the transfer fee in two installments next year. The club of Ronald Koeman and Frenkie de Jong has been mainly busy in recent weeks to make room in the salary house. Expensive employees such as Luis Suárez, Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal were, whether or not in exchange for a relatively low transfer fee, to save nearly thirty million euros gross in salary costs.

Ajax watcher Mike Verweij from The Telegraph claims that negotiations between the Dest camp and Barcelona on a contract start on Monday and that the American international has not yet traveled to Spain. That will likely be Tuesday, as no complications in talks about a multi-year commitment are expected. Ajax and Barcelona are expected to announce the transfer from Wednesday. Dest’s contract with Ajax will continue for two more seasons.