Liverpool and Bayern Munich will face off in the race to sign Barcelona’s midfield orchestrator Frenkie de Jong.
According to Sport, Premier League giants Liverpool will look to trump German champions Bayern Munich in pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
The Dutchman is one of the best young midfielders in Europe and among the most recognizable names at Barcelona at this moment in time. The Catalans are enduring a difficult season and were recently relegated to the Europa League after finishing third in their UEFA Champions League group.
Xavi Hernandez’s side looked out of touch and levels below Bayern Munich, who defeated them 3-0 with little effort. The Germans could make life worse for the Blaugrana should they also land de Jong.
The 24-year-old’s morale has taken a hit of late, and he has failed to put up the performances expected of someone of his quality. While Barcelona are keen to make him a key part of their rebuild, it remains to be seen if de Jong also sees it that way.
He is believed to be unhappy with the team’s performances. Xavi has already had a word with him to step up and make himself counted. The Barcelona boss views the midfielder as an unsellable asset but knows that he has to raise the performance level to reach his potential. It is fair to say that both de Jong and Barcelona are currently at a crossroads regarding where they stand.
The same cannot be said of Bayern or Liverpool, who are both going from strength to strength. Both clubs had a perfect record in the Champions League group stages and are also involved in their respective domestic title races. A move to either team would, at this point, offer de Jong stability, not to mention a better shot at winning trophies.
Jurgen Klopp’s side, in particular, could do with another midfielder in their ranks. James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are all above 30 and will need to be replaced sooner or later. At 24, de Jong is not just someone who can perform off the bat but also give the Reds a viable option for the future.
His ability to keep possession and dictate the tempo from deep in the midfield would add another dimension to the Liverpool midfield. Jurgen Klopp has already shown himself capable of moulding Dutch talents given his handling of Georginio Wijnaldum at Anfield. With a rebuild on the cards, de Jong could go down in history as a member of Liverpool’s next great team.
While Bayern can also offer him similar if not a higher chance of success, at least domestically, Liverpool’s style of play makes him a better fit to Klopp’s system. Staying at Barcelona, at this point, is not a promising position to be in. With him set to enter his prime soon, de Jong will be better served to take his talents elsewhere.
