Frenkie de Jong Contemplates Barcelona Departure: Man Utd and Arsenal on High Alert
Frenkie de Jong, the talented midfielder currently playing for Barcelona, is reportedly considering his future at the club, which has put Manchester United and Arsenal on high alert. According to reports in Spain, De Jong is disappointed with his time at Barcelona and is now more open to the idea of moving to a different club.
De Jong joined Barcelona in 2019 in a £65 million deal from Ajax and is currently in his fifth season with the Catalan giants. He was a priority signing for Manchester United in the summer of 2022, with manager Erik ten Hag keen to bring him to Old Trafford. However, De Jong refused to leave Camp Nou despite Barcelona being open to a sale.
Journalist Lluis Canut, who has a close relationship with former Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman and De Jong’s entourage, revealed on Esport3’s ‘Onze’ programme that the midfielder is frustrated with the expectations he had upon his arrival at Barcelona. He had hoped to win trophies like the Champions League and be part of a competitive team, but those expectations have not been met.
Meanwhile, Barcelona’s hierarchy is said to have doubts about De Jong and is considering selling him this summer to improve the club’s finances. The Dutch midfielder is currently one of Barca’s top earners. However, sporting director Deco recently stated that De Jong would not be offloaded to finance a deal for Kylian Mbappe, who will be available on a free transfer this summer.
Arsenal could also be interested in signing De Jong, as he had previously expressed openness to joining the Gunners before his move to Barcelona. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly keen to recruit a new central midfielder in the summer and has already held talks with Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.
It remains to be seen where De Jong will end up, but his potential departure from Barcelona has certainly caught the attention of Manchester United and Arsenal. Both clubs are on high alert and could make a move for the talented midfielder in the upcoming transfer window.
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