Chelsea and Manchester United are among those vying for Frenkie de Jong, and Barcelona hopes to renew his contract.
According to Fichajes, Chelsea and Manchester United are among four clubs keen on Frenkie de Jong. The midfielder’s Barcelona future is up in the air, and Bayern Miunich and PSG are also in the mix for the Dutch star. The Catalan side is still trying to renew his deal.
This week, Barcelona opened their account in the Champions League with a 5-0 win over Young Boys, following their loss in the opening game against Monaco. This midweek encounter also saw the long-awaited return of Frenkie de Jong, who had been missing from action right before the Euros.
De Jong remains a formidable midfielder and will massively boost Barcelona’s ranks this season. Hansi Flick reportedly asked to block any sale of the midfielder in the summer amid plenty of links to Premier League sides, as there’s still some unclarity with his future at Barcelona.
Manchester United had links to the midfielder, but he was never really an option for the Red Devils, given his high asking price and wages. Erik ten Hag’s side remain in the mix ahead of next summer, when De Jong will have a year left on his Barcelona deal, which makes him someone who could leave the club.
Chelsea are also in the mix, although a move for the star midfielder would see the Blues move away from their transfer policy of buying players under a certain age. Those two Premier League sides are part of a four-way battle for the 27-year-old Barcelona star, with Bayern Munich and PSG also in the mix. Any move will depend on the player and his decision on whether to extend his deal in Catalonia.
Barcelona keen to extend De Jong’s deal
Barcelona are wary of letting De Jong enter the final year of his deal, which would severely limit their hopes of maximising his market value. Had they received a large enough offer, the Catalans would have probably sold the midfielder, as they would have been open to taking his wages off their books, with the Dutchman considered one of the highest earners at the club.
However, they are leaning more towards extending his deal at the club and would start pushing to get his signature, which would let them normalise his wages. De Jong, on the other hand, is not overly curious to sign a new contract as things stand. The progress this season would help him make his mind up about a possible extension, meaning he would potentially enter next summer on the sales list at Barcelona if the situation stays the same.