The future of Frenkie de Jong has been a talking point all summer. However, new reports claim the saga could soon take an entirely new direction.
The Dutch midfielder, who currently plays for Barcelona, has been linked with moves to Manchester United and Chelsea. Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag is a fan of De Jong, having managed him at Ajax. Chelsea, meanwhile, are also interested in signing the deep-lying playmaker.
As the summer has developed, however, it has become clear that this is no ordinary transfer saga. Barcelona owe De Jong an incredible €17 million in deferred wage payments, dating back to the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Athletic report that the Spanish giants have told De Jong to leave so they can reduce their wage bill. This would allow the club to register new signings Raphinha, Jules Kounde and Robert Lewandowski.
The reason for choosing De Jong specifically appears to be that he is one of the club’s most saleable assets – that is, in terms of players the club would want to sell. On Saturday, it was reported that Chelsea offered €70 million, plus Marcos Alonso, for the Dutchman.
So far, a deal for the 25-year-old has not been concluded. However, new reports suggest that PSG have now entered the race to sign De Jong. In addition, any deal completion could then start a chain reaction elsewhere, involving Manchester City and going full circle back to Barcelona.
How Frenkie de Jong transfer could change football landscape
According to leading Spanish football journalist Gerard Romero, PSG want to sign De Jong to bolster their midfield.
The French giants have allowed Georginio Wijnaldum to leave this summer. Meanwhile, Idrissa Gueye is closing in on a move back to Everton, according to Fabrizio Romano.
If De Jong signs, he will join new midfield signings Renato Sanches and Vitinha at Parc des Princes.
Romero, meanwhile, has reported that there is a belief amongst some agents that a deal for Frenkie de Jong will be completed by PSG. This would then apparently create a chain reaction, involving PSG selling midfield dynamo Marco Verratti. His rumoured destination? Manchester City.
This deal would certainly make sense, as City boss Pep Guardiola is a known admirer of the Italian. He would provide a different dynamic to City’s midfield, with his passing ability and intelligence to retain the ball in challenging situations.
In September, after a Champions League game between City and PSG, Guardiola said of Verratti (quotes via Goal): “I’m in love with him. He is exceptional. Even under pressure, he manages to find those passes that allow the midfield to be free.
“He’s not a player for long passes, but you can always count on him to build the game. We managed to control him better in the second half, but in the first half, he was really exceptional.”
Meanwhile, the third wheel in this report is City midfielder Bernardo Silva. It is claimed that, were the above two scenarios to occur, the Portuguese star would then join Barcelona, effectively as De Jong’s replacement. The move doesn’t make a great deal of sense, given Barcelona’s financial predicament. However, neither has much of the club’s business this summer.
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