Barcelona transfer list De Jong! Ten Hag’s dream could become Man Utd’s nightmare

Barcelona have put Frenkie de Jong firmly on the transfer market ahead of the summer, but what is the ideal next step for the player?

AS reports that the Netherlands international midfielder is “on pole” to be sold by the Catalan club in the summer. Ronald Araujo and Raphinha are other prominent members of the first-team squad who could sold in order to ease the club’s ongoing financial crisis.

Barca’s decision, though, is not taken purely on a financial footing, it is claimed.

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“After five seasons as a Barcelona player, his very high salary is not the only thing that is attributed to the Dutchman,” the Madrid-based source notes.

“His sporting performance has not been what was expected and he has not become the spiritual leader of Barca that was expected when Josep Maria Bartomeu signed him with great fanfare in 2019.

“The departure of Sergio Busquets has not pushed him to elevate his level.

“And, if that were not enough, he has had the misfortune of suffering three injuries to his right ankle. The last one, at the Bernabeu.”

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Where next for De Jong?

Frenkie de Jong was a long-time target of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, who spent much of the summer of 2022 chasing his compatriot. In the end, he was forced to beat a retreat, signing Casemiro from Real Madrid late in the transfer window.

Ten Hag may well have exited by Old Trafford by the time next season rolls around, and United are likely to remain without De Jong as they have other summer priorities.

Data analytics experts SciSports say there are other options in the Premier League he is more suited to.

Manchester City are his best option in the Premier League. SciSports gives him a Club Fit score of an impressive 85.

Arsenal, too, are well suited to De Jong, though slightly less so than Pep Guardiola’s men. The Gunners get a score of 80. SciSports believes that his playing time would be less at the Emirates Stadium than at the Etihad, while City’s playing style is marginally better suited to him.

If De Jong were to complete a move to either of these teams – and both are known to be on the lookout for a central midfielder, with Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes a target for both – it would represent a nightmare scenario for Man Utd as they try to regain their position as the Premier League’s pre-eminent side.

The Dutchman is clearly a high-class player and would slot in seamlessly at either of these extremely strong clubs, making them even more formidable to overcome.

De Jong, meanwhile, has dug his heels in previously with an insistence of remaining at Barcelona. This is why he is not already a Man Utd player.

It would be little surprise if he took this stance again this summer, which would doubtless leave Barca frustrated.