Frenkie de Jong’s future at Barcelona has been attracting headlines across Europe ahead of the opening of the summer transfer window with speculation claiming the Catalans could be tempted to cash in on the Dutch midfielder.
An update on the situation has been provided by Sky Sport’s Florian Plettenberg who reports Manchester United are “trying everything” to land the 25-year-old in the next transfer window.
New coach Erik ten Hag, who worked with De Jong at Ajax, wants the midfielder and “talks have taken place.” However, Barcelona coach Xavi is determined to keep hold of De Jong and “definitely won’t let him go.”
De Jong is a regular for Barcelona and has a contract at the Camp Nou that runs until 2026. The midfielder has even said he would be happy to sign a “six-year extension” at Barcelona.
However, Barcelona’s tricky financial situation has left the club vulnerable to big offers for key players. De Jong is one of the club’s most saleable assets which means if Manchester United do make a sizeable bid the Catalans will have a tough decision to make.
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Xavi Talks Frenkie’s Future
Barcelona coach Xavi was asked about De Jong’s future ahead of his team’s 0-0 draw at Getafe last time out in La Liga. The club legend told a pre-match press conference that De Jong is a key player but certainly did not rule out a summer exit, as reported by ESPN.
“For me [De Jong] is a very important player,” he said. “He’s almost always been a starter, except when I’ve rotated [the team]. He is a fundamental player, but then there is the financial situation of the club. Not just with Frenkie, I mean in general. He’s a player I like a lot, but we’ll see how the situation is.”
Barcelona’s spending limit has been set at -€144 million by La Liga. The limit means Barca can only spend 25% of any savings they make through player sales.
The Catalans are expected to offload several players this summer in a bid to try to raise funds to strengthen the squad. A deal for Philippe Coutinho to join Aston Villa for €20 million has already been announced.
Alemany: No Decision Made Yet
Barcelona sporting director Mateu Alemany has also been asked about De Jong and insisted no decisions have yet been made on the future of the Netherlands international, as reported by Diario AS.
”We haven’t made any decisions regarding the squad; Frenkie is a quality player, very important. We are conditioned by fairplay, conditioned by the situation inherited by the club,” he added. “We must be patient. We are clear that we are going to reinforce the team. It is necessary and we want to compete for the titles next year.”
Selling De Jong would be a controversial move by Barcelona but the club are hardly lacking in midfield options. Xavi has Sergio Busquets, Gavi, Pedri, and Nico Gonzalez in his squad, while AC Milan’s Franck Kessie and highly-rated youngster Pablo Torre will arrive at the end of the season.
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‘Xavi Definitely Won’t Let Him Go:’ Barcelona Star Tipped to Stay