Frenkie de Jong is reportedly likelier to join Manchester City instead of local rivals Manchester United if he leaves Barcelona this summer.
According to a report by Catalan outlet Catalunya Radio, Manchester City might be leading the race to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona in the summer transfer window. The Dutch midfielder is also a target for local rivals Manchester United, but Bernardo Silva’s desire to join Barcelona has left the Premier League champions as the front-runners.
Frenkie de Jong is in a spot of bother at Camp Nou despite being one of Barcelona’s most reliable performers since arriving from Ajax nearly three years ago. And while the Blaugrana might be in a healthier financial position following the activation of economic levers, de Jong’s future remains up in the air.
The Dutch international has made 140 appearances for Barcelona thus far, with his wages proving to be a problem for the Blaugrana despite the latest developments. Such a situation has captured the attention of several high-profile clubs across Europe, including Manchester United and Manchester City.
The Red Devils have been pushing to sign de Jong for several weeks, but Barcelona’s demands are threatening to disrupt a summer transfer. Nonetheless, de Jong remains a viable target for Manchester United following the departures of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic.
Recent reports have also claimed that de Jong is warming up to the idea of joining Manchester United despite initially being reluctant to move to Old Trafford. But Manchester United will have to fend off stiff competition from neighbours Manchester City to land the Barcelona midfielder, although that might be a tall order, with the Citizens in the pole position in his chase.
Manchester City might need to invest in a creative midfielder in the summer transfer window amid Bernardo Silva’s desire to join Barcelona. Interestingly, a swap deal involving Silva and de Jong could be a possibility that can help all four parties. And according to the report, the Premier League champions are the front-runners to land de Jong.
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It will be interesting to see if Manchester United can do something to claw their way back in the race to sign de Jong, especially with Erik ten Hag keen on reuniting with his compatriot. As of now, Manchester City might be the Barcelona midfielder’s most viable destination this summer.
