Manchester City are reportedly pondering a £90million swoop for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong after walking away from a Declan Rice bid.
The Sky Blues had previously submitted a £90million bid for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, but the offer was swiftly rejected and Arsenal have moved ahead in his race after launching a £105million bid. The treble-winners have walked away from any deal for the England international due to his mammoth price tag, and instead are exploring potential options.
According to The Sun, Manchester City could go for Frenkie de Jong after missing out on Rice to Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola tried to sign De Jong, 25, in 2019 from Ajax, before the Netherlands international was tempted to join his dream club Barcelona—and he remains a huge admirer. The central midfielder was a major transfer target for Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag last summer, but he opted to stay at Nou Camp.
However, De Jong is aware Barcelona are open to a sale in an attempt to improve the club’s financial situation. And with Guardiola’s treble-winning side potentially knocking on the door, he could have a change of heart this summer.
Frenkie de Jong to Man City—Should City offer Cancelo as a swap for De Jong?
Pep Guardiola is keen to bring in a new midfielder after Ilkay Gundogan turned down a new deal and decided to join Barcelona on a free transfer instead. Gundogan was pivotal in Man City winning the treble last season after he netted eight Premier League goals and scored a brace in the 2-1 win over rivals Man United in the FA Cup final. Thus, it is vital for Guardiola and the club to replace the German international.
After missing out on Rice, Guardiola is planning to move for De Jong with a £90m price tag quoted. The noises from Barcelona in the meantime are unsurprisingly mixed. On one hand, Barcelona president Joan Laporta says De Jong is ‘untouchable’, but on the other, he is willing to offload the player in a bid to improve the club’s desperate finances.
De Jong, who has three years left on his contract at Nou Camp, earns £400,000 a week after tax. So, selling him would make a huge difference in easing Barcelona’s wage bill. Reportedly, Barcelona are in search of a new right-back for next season and have made City’s Joao Cancelo a target.
Cancelo, 29, fell out with Guardiola after the 2022 World Cup and left City for Bayern Munich on loan in January. After a mixed time in the Bundesliga, Bayern have decided against signing the Portuguese international permanently. As it stands, Cancelo’s future at the Etihad Stadium is in limbo with Guardiola no longer planning with him next season.
With that in mind, City must offer Cancelo to Barcelona as a swap for De Jong. Both Cancelo and De Jong are apparently unwanted at their respective clubs and them moving in opposite directions would solve their managers’ area of concern in the squad. Thus, a swap deal would suit both parties involved.
While Cancelo may be open to joining Barcelona as he looks to move away from the Etihad Stadium, De Jong would likely need a lot of persuading from City.