Krishnan Sreekumar
Fabrizio Romano relays Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez message on Frenkie de Jong amid Manchester United interest
As relayed by football journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez gave his thoughts about the future of midfielder Frenkie de Jong at the club, amid speculation that the player could be headed to Manchester United in the summer.
de Jong moved to Barca from Ajax Amsterdam in 2019, earning a transfer to the Catalan club after his impressive performances for the Dutch side the previous season. Under manager Erik ten Hag, the player managed to win a domestic double in Holland.
That campaign also included a dream run when Frenkie and his young Ajax teammates managed to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, beating teams like Real Madrid and Juventus on the way. Unfortunately, they fell to Tottenham Hotspur thanks to a last-gasp Lucas Moura goal.
With ten Hag being appointed as the new United permanent manager ahead of the upcoming season, there has been speculation regarding the head coach eyeing a reunion with de Jong. Thus far, the midfielder remains a Barca player while the Dutch boss is yet to take charge of his new side.
“He’s key player”
When quizzed about the potential departure of de Jong and the links to the Red Devils, Romano relayed the thoughts of Hernandez, who insisted that the 25-year-old is an important and key player in his squad.
The Spanish manager, however, seems to have left the door open for a possible transfer move for the Netherlands international, saying that the financial situation of Barcelona is a factor to be taken into consideration. He said that it applied not only to de Jong, but to other players as well.
The La Liga club is dealing with a financial crunch at the moment and could be forced to sell a few players in the upcoming summer transfer window to raise funds. United fans would hope that
Although Hernandez has talked about the midfielder being an important part of his squad, he has also hinted at a potential few sales in the summer. The club legend has not been able to confirm the player’s future at the Nou Camp next season, which could be a boost for the Red Devils.
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This opens the door for a potential Ajax mini-reunion in Manchester, with ten Hag, de Jong, and Donny van de Beek joining forces once again. van de Beek is expected to return from his loan spell at Everton at the end of the season.
It remains to be seen if the Old Trafford outfit will make an official approach for de Jong based on Hernandez’s comments. United fans will certainly be excited about the possibility of the reunion, hoping that it brings about the same level of success as it did at Ajax.
