Frenkie finally goes to Manchester? City ‘are considering an offer for former Man United target De Jong’ as Pep Guardiola continues search for Ilkay Gundogan’s midfield replacement
- Manchester City are reportedly considering making a bid for Frenkie de Jong
- The Barcelona midfielder has previously expressed his desire to stay in Spain
- But Pep Guardiola may have other ideas after Ilkay Gundogan’s departure
Pep Guardiola is on the hunt for a new midfielder after club captain Ilkay Gundogan left for Barcelona and could try to lure Frenkie de Jong back in the other direction as his replacement.
Manchester City ended their pursuit of West Ham’s Declan Rice after Arsenal returned with a bid of £105m and are now looking for an alternative to plug the hole in midfield.
De Jong was previously chased by Manchester United who desperately attempted to lure the Dutchman to Old Trafford for the entirety of last year’s summer transfer window before conceding defeat as he opted to remain in Spain.
But Man City may have more luck in convincing the 26-year-old to move to the Premier League as Pep Guardiola weighs up whether or not to make a bid, according to the Sun.
De Jong previously expressed he is keen to continue at the Nou Camp given Barcelona’s resurgence under Xavi that saw the club win the LaLiga title last season and qualify for the Champions League.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong could be set for a summer move to Manchester City
City manager Pep Guardiola is reportedly a huge admirer of De Jong after previously failing with an offer in 2019
However Barcelona’s tricky financial situation means more outgoings will have to take place to fund new arrivals and De Jong could be shown the exit door if Man City make a tempting offer.
City were reportedly willing to part with £90m to hijack Arsenal’s move for Rice and Barcelona would command the same fee for one of their star midfielders who has established a reputation as one of the world’s best ball carriers.
Meanwhile, United would be incensed if a previous transfer priorities was snubbed by their rival, but their own restrictive funds mean they would likely be unable to rival a bid for De Jong.
Their recent £50m acquisition of Mason Mount from Chelsea has been viewed as a smart investment, but has also heavily dented their transfer funds.
Guardiola is apparently a huge admirer of De Jong and retains great interest in the midfielder after previously being unsuccessful when he tried to do a deal four years ago.
De Jong (left) was Manchester United’s number one target last summer but decided to stay at Barcelona
Guardiola (left) is searching for a midfield replacement for Ilkay Gundogan (right) who left to join Barcelona
However, they could force the Dutchman to reduce his salary demands despite City’s transfer kitty being given a welcome boost after their Treble winning heroics.
De Jong earns a reported £400,000-per-week post-tax at Barcelona and would automatically become one of the Premier League’s top earners if similar wages were dished out to him at the Etihad.
A role within the City set-up would likely see him operate in a midfield three alongside Rodri and John Stones who found a rich vein of form after being deployed by Guardiola in a hybrid midfield position.
However, Bayern Munich may try to match any incoming offer from City after similarly falling to the wayside in their chase for Rice’s signature.
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