Barcelona face frustration in the summer transfer market after Ajax warned them that starlet Frenkie de Jong is not for sale, according to reports.

De Jong, 21, has earned rave reviews for the Amsterdam giants. Such praise has not gone unnoticed by the La Liga champions , who have a history dating back to the 1970s with Johan Cruyff of plundering their best talent.

De Telegraaf stated Barca faced rejection on Sunday for the €40 million (Dh173.5m)-rated Netherlands Under-21 centre midfielder and centre-back when they initiated talks with Ajax director Marc Overmars and agent Ali Dursun. Not even an offer of loaning him back to the Eredivisie runners-up for 2018/19 could convince them to do a deal, with rival interest also being registered by Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.

Barca are eager to avoid a repeat of the ongoing situation where they appear to have been beaten to the signature of 17-year-old Santos prospect Rodrygo by Real Madrid.

De Jong contributed seven assists in 22 Eredivisie games during 2017/18, despite largely playing in defence.