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Barcelona will sell Frenkie de Jong this summer if he does not agree to a new contract with lower wages.
It wouldn’t be a Manchester United transfer window these days without discussing De Jong. The Red Devils agreed a deal for the player in the summer of 2022, but no move came to pass as the player showed no interest in leaving the Catalan club.
Despite the midfielder regularly expressing his desire to remain at the Camp Nou, Barcelona’s dire financial situation has meant rumours of a high profile exit have never really gone away.
United, for their part, have struggled massively in the midfield department with the huge decline of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen on full display this season. Moreover, Sofyan Amrabat has made no impact and Mason Mount’s injury record has not really given him any chance to show his value at Old Trafford.
Therefore, young Kobbie Mainoo has largely held the midfield together this campaign, but it is certainly somewhere United will look to bolster in the near future; and, if Erik ten Hag survives, De Jong is certainly a player they will look at again.
Spanish newspaper AS claim that the player might just be available this summer.
The paper asserts that injuries have made this a tough year for the Dutchman and his future at the Camp Nou “is up in the air, and even more so thinking about the financial needs of the club”.
“It must be remembered that Frenkie has an ascending contract, which he signed practically on the last day of Josep Maria Bartomeu’s presidency, so next season he will earn even more. Considering this, it is also added that the contract ends in the summer of 2026, and the Blaugrana leaders consider that it is a good time to release it, especially if the player does not accept the conditions of the new contract, which will clearly be lower”.
“Given this complicated situation, everything is open in Frenkie’s future. No matter how much the midfielder insists that he wants to stay, the file remains open at the club”.
As reported earlier in the week, the economic problems at the Catalan club could also benefit United from another long-term target’s perspective.
“In fact, Frenkie’s name is not the only one being considered for release this summer, but other players of Ronald Araújo’s calibre could also be asked to leave, if they do not agree to the new conditions of the contract”.
While it probably remains unlikely that the Red Devils would have the money to spend on De Jong, should they get the huge wages of Casemiro and Varane off the books, it may be a deal they pursue, especially if Ten Hag somehow remains at the club after the FA Cup final.
However, Bayern Munich also harbour an interest in De Jong, and will have the massive carrots of Champions League football and an immediate chance to win a league title – both of which are not currently on offer at Old Trafford.
