According to reports, Manchester City is exploring the possibility of securing the services of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong in the upcoming summer transfer window. After an unsuccessful attempt to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United, the Citizens are in search of a central midfielder to fill the void left by Ilkay Gundogan’s departure. The Sun suggests that De Jong has emerged as a target for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Last summer, there were strong links between De Jong and Manchester United; however, the Red Devils failed to secure his signature as the player expressed his desire to stay at Camp Nou. Nonetheless, Manchester United is closely monitoring the 26-year-old’s situation, should he become available for transfer. But signing De Jong may pose a challenge for them due to his £90 million asking price, especially since they have already committed £60 million to signing Mason Mount from Chelsea.
Aside from the pursuit of a midfielder, Manchester City is also in need of a center-forward and potentially a goalkeeper, regardless of whether David de Gea extends his contract. As for Barcelona, they are keen on retaining De Jong but may be tempted by significant offers considering their financial situation. The Catalan club is under pressure to make first-team sales, and offloading De Jong would alleviate a substantial wage burden, as he currently earns around £400,000 per week.
De Jong joined Barcelona from Ajax in 2019 and has made 183 appearances for the club, contributing 15 goals and 21 assists across various competitions. In the previous season, he played 43 matches, scoring once and providing four assists as Barcelona clinched the La Liga title. With three years remaining on his contract at Camp Nou, the Dutchman is reportedly not in a hurry to change clubs, even if the opportunity arises to move to the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City has already secured the services of midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea earlier this summer. The reigning treble winners will face Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 6 and kick off their Premier League campaign against Burnley on August 11.