Barcelona have reportedly turned their attention back to Dutch midfielder Frenkie De Jong, who is being targeted as an alternative to Paul Pogba.
According to a report by Spanish publication Sport, Frenkie De Jong is once again the subject of interest from Barcelona, who are eager to land another midfielder before the summer transfer window slams shut. The Dutch midfielder is being viewed as a possible alternative to Paul Pogba.
Barcelona have already reinforced their midfield this summer by signing Arthur and Arturo Vidal. The duo have helped fill the void left by the departures of Andres Iniesta and Paulinho. With around nine midfielders at Ernesto Valverde’s disposal, conventional wisdom would suggest that the Blaugrana are well stocked in midfield.
But, if recent reports are to be believed, Barcelona are still eager to bolster Valverde’s options, with Paul Pogba their priority target. The French international is keen on moving to Camp Nou as well, having agreed personal terms with the Catalans, although Manchester United are unwilling to sell.
With the Pogba deal proving to be difficult to pull off, both financially and otherwise, Barcelona now have to turn their attention elsewhere, if they are to indeed add more midfielders. To that end, they have set their sights back on a long-term target – Frenkie De Jong.
The 21-year-old is one of the most highly rated prospects to have emanated from the fabled Ajax academy in recent years. While injuries have hampered his progress to a certain extent, he has still shown a lot of promise, which has invariably piqued the interest of several big name clubs.
Among his biggest suitors are Barcelona, who have been eyeing De Jong as a possible long-term successor to Andres Iniesta. However, Ajax have been reluctant to part ways with the youngster this summer, with the club’s director of football Marc Overmars recently saying even “an insane amount” of money would not tempt them.
The 21-year-old too, insisted recently that he is likely to stay at Ajax for another season before possibly joining Barcelona. However, the Catalan giants are looking to test the Dutch outfit’s resolve with a bid worth around €50 million, especially with the move for Pogba being hard to complete.
Barcelona’s keenness to continue bolstering their midfield still doesn’t make a lot of sense, even if they end up offloading the likes of Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes. It remains to be seen though, if the Blaugrana continue pursuing a move for De Jong, and if they are able to land him.
