Manchester United have been linked with Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong but the Catalan club is looking for a swap deal to part ways with the Dutchman, but not with United. This comes as per Mundo Deportivo.
The Spanish outlet claims that Barca are willing to sacrifice Frenkie de Jong if it means that it will get their finances back in order. They are looking to execute a swap deal involving the 25-year-old. Barcelona are looking at Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) and Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) in exchange for Frenkie de Jong. And to make matters interesting, both Bayern and City are interested in signing de Jong.
Erik Ten Hag is looking at a major rebuild at Old Trafford. The former Ajax manager has already made multiple contacts with the 25-year-old to convince him to be a part of his project at United. The player is unwilling to leave the former La Liga champions and in the event he does, he will not settle for anything less than UEFA Champions League football.
Roger Torello has claimed that Barca have slapped a mammoth price tag on de Jong. A fee in the range of £68 million is a must to get the Barca think tank working, as per Torello.
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There is no doubt that the Red Devils are in need of a quality holding midfielder. Having joined the club in 2019, de Jong has struggled to nail down his spot in the lineup. Busquets has aged better and has managed to keep his place in the lineup. The veteran is still a starter for Barca at the age of 33. De Jong is at his best when playing as the CDM. Thus he has been unable to play regularly in his natural position.
Erik Ten Hag knows how to get the best out of the Dutchman. As United have struggled massively in the last two years, Old Trafford is a tricky place for many to go to. That said, United should not give up on the 25-year-old, not yet anyway.
Barca’s precarious financial situation could play into the hands of United, though. But, the 25-year-old though is only looking at Champions League football. This is why it is fair to assume that perhaps United could struggle to make their case. So, while United are well-positioned to agree on a transfer with Barca, they may fail to convince the player.
The former Premier League champions need to sign a deep-lying midfielder in any case and if not de Jong then Ruben Neves could be a good fit. The likely departures of Nemanja Matic and Pogba will open up a spot for Neves. The Wolves midfielder has had a good season and is ready for his next challenge.