Aheed Abrar
Barcelona looking to free up wages of Manchester United summer target Frenkie de Jong from their books
La Liga giants Barcelona are once again looking to free up the wages of Manchester United’s summer target and the Netherlands star Frenkie de Jong from their books, according to Spanish outlet Sport (h/t Manchester Evening News).
The Red Devils were linked with the 25-year-old throughout the recent transfer window. However, the midfielder stayed put with the Blaugrana in the end.
However, the Holland international could once again be available. His current contract with the Catalan outfit expires at the end of the 2025/26 campaign. Thus, the former Ajax star is likely to cost around £90 million.
Barcelona signed De Jong in the summer of 2019 from De Godenzonen. Since then, the midfielder has been one of the Blaugrana‘s best players.
However, he has lost a bit of influence at the Camp Nou side since the arrival of Xavi in the Catalan giants’ dugout. The breaking out of the likes of Pedri and Gavi and the signing of Frank Kessie have also given the La Liga outfit many options in the middle of the park.
As a result, the 25-year-old struggled to get into Barcelona’s starting lineup initially this season. However, the Holland international has once again made a place for himself at the Camp Nou side.
De Jong has also been impressive at the World Cup in Qatar with the Netherlands. The Oranje have made it to the quarter-finals, where they will face Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
United ended up signing Casemiro from Real Madrid and Christian Eriksen as a free agent in the summer of 2022. The Danish national has made the number eight position his own in the current campaign.
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However, De Jong is also a quality player who has played under Erik ten Hag previously at Ajax. The 25-year-old is familiar with the Dutch manager’s style of play. So, it remains to be seen whether the Old Trafford side will pursue his signature once again.
