Manchester City ‘consider a bid for former Man United target Frenkie De Jong’ as Pep Guardiola continues to search for Ilkay Gundogan’s midfield replacement
- Manchester City are reportedly considering making an offer for Frenkie de Jong
- The Barcelona midfielder has previously expressed a desire to stay in Spain
- But Pep Guardiola may have other ideas after Ilkay Gundogan’s departure
Pep Guardiola is looking for a new midfielder after captain Ilkay Gundogan left for Barcelona and could try to lure Frenkie de Jong back the other way as his replacement.
Manchester City ended their pursuit of West Ham’s Declan Rice after Arsenal returned with a £105 million bid and are now looking for an alternative to close the midfield gap.
De Jong was previously pursued by Manchester United, who desperately tried to lure the Dutchman to Old Trafford for the whole of last year’s summer transfer window before conceding defeat when he opted to remain in Spain.
But Man City may have better luck convincing the 26-year-old to move to the Premier League as Guardiola weighs up whether or not to make a bid, the club said. Sun.
De Jong previously expressed his desire to continue at Camp Nou given Barcelona’s resurgence under Xavi – having won the LaLiga title and qualified for the Champions League last season.
FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong could move to Manchester City in the summer
Guardiola is reportedly a big admirer of De Jong after failing to make a bid earlier in 2019
However, Barcelona’s dire financial situation means more money needs to be allocated to fund newcomers and De Jong could be out if Man City make a tempting offer.
City were reportedly willing to forgo £90 million to hijack Arsenal’s move to Rice and Barcelona would charge the same fee for one of their star midfielders who has built a reputation as one of the world’s best ball carriers.
Meanwhile, United would be furious if a previous transfer priority was rejected by their rival, but their own restrictive resources mean they are unlikely to be able to match a bid for De Jong.
Their recent takeover of Mason Mount from Chelsea for £50m was seen as a smart investment, but has also severely drained their transfer funds.
Guardiola is apparently a big admirer of De Jong and continues to have a keen interest in the midfielder after his unsuccessful attempt to sign a deal four years ago.
De Jong (left) was Manchester United’s main target last summer, but decided to stay with Barcelona
Guardiola (left) is looking for a midfield replacement for Ilkay Gundogan (right) who left for Barcelona
However, they could force the Dutchman to lower his salary demands, despite City’s transfer cat getting a welcome boost after their exploits to win the Treble.
De Jong earns a reported £400,000 a week after tax at Barcelona and would automatically become one of the Premier League’s top earners if he were offered a similar wage at the Etihad.
A role within the City setup would likely see him operate in a midfield three alongside Rodri and John Stones, who found rich form after being deployed by Guardiola in a hybrid midfield position.
However, Bayern Munich could try to match any incoming bid from City after similarly falling by the wayside in their hunt for Rice’s signature.