Aheed Abrar
Manchester City eye long-term Manchester United target and Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong
Barcelona star and long-term Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong is being eyed by Premier League rivals Manchester City, according to The Sun (h/t Metro).
The Cityzens are looking to bolster their midfield after losing Ilkay Gundogan to the Camp Nou side. To that end, the Sky Blues wanted West Ham United’s Declan Rice. But it looks like Arsenal will pip them to his signature.
Now, Pep Guardiola has set his sights on the Blaugrana’s Dutch midfielder. As things stand, the Catalan outfit would be open to parting ways with the 26-year-old due to their financial issues but expect a £90 million offer for him.
Last summer, the Red Devils were interested in acquiring De Jong’s services. However, the saga dragged on for quite some time and the Holland international ended up staying at Barcelona.
The midfielder is still on the Old Trafford side’s wishlist. However, the club look set to get a hold of Mason Mount’s signature from Chelsea in the ongoing transfer window.
City became only the second English team to win the treble after Man United last season. The Cityzens have an abundance of options in the engine room despite Gundogan’s departure, with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden in their ranks.
As for United, quality in depth seems to be an issue for us. Casmiro’s arrival last summer added much-needed strength to the Red Devils’ midfield. However, our other options have been inconsistent.
Christian Eriksen started his stint at the Old Trafford side decently. Unfortunately, the Danish national petered off towards the end of the campaign. On the other hand, the likes of Fred, Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek have failed to cement their place in the team over the years.
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Therefore, we could seemingly do with someone like De Jong in our ranks. Ten Hag seems to be building something special at Man United. However, it would not be wise to spend a considerable amount of time once again chasing the Holland international if he is not attainable.
