January's Most Wanted: Frenkie De Jong to Man Utd or Arsenal?

Martin Macdonald

7 Jan 2022 12:37 GMT
3 min read

Frenkie de Jong was once considered an untouchable player at Barcelona.

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In the summer of 2019, Barcelona completed the signing of De Jong from Ajax for a fee of €75 million.

The Dutchman was viewed as the man to carry the Blaugrana midfield for the next 10 years, but unfortunately for him, his time at the club has coincided with a tumultuous period at Camp Nou both on and off the pitch.

Barca are in desperate need of money in order for Xavi to rebuild the squad, and De Jong has been identified as one of the few players in the side who would command a significant transfer fee.

What is Frenkie de Jong's transfer status?

De Jong is currently in a strange situation at Barcelona, as although Xavi would be happy to keep the player at the club, he might still leave if a decent offer comes in.

As mentioned above, De Jong was once considered untouchable at Barca, but the emergence of Pedri, Gavi and Nico means that they are not as reliant on the former Ajax midfielder as they once were.

However, if De Jong does stay, he is still viewed as the long-term successor to Sergio Busquets.

That is the kind of uncertainty that surrounds the Blaugrana at the moment.

When does Frenkie de Jong's contract expire?

De Jong's contract expires in June of 2026.

What clubs are interested in Frenkie de Jong?

Prior to this season, it seemed like Bayern Munich were the side most likely to offer money for De Jong.

However, now Premier League teams are sniffing around, and their spending power means that a move could actually happen in January.

Arsenal are in desperate need of a new central midfielder, especially with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny heading to the Africa Cup of Nations. They are the club most recently linked with De Jong.

© ProShots - Could Frenkie de Jong leave Barcelona?

Another club that needs midfield reinforcements is Manchester United, with Ralf Rangnick likely to be given funds to bring in players. De Jong was strongly linked with Man Utd before the move to Barca, and he could very well end up at Old Trafford.

According to Football London, Manchester City are also interested, and could attempt to sign De Jong in a swap deal, with Aymeric Laporte heading to Camp Nou.

Could Frenkie de Jong leave in January?

De Jong's will leave Barcelona if they receive a significant transfer offer.

Could Frenkie de Jong leave in the summer?

If De Jong stays in the January transfer window, it is likely that he will stay beyond the summer too as Barcelona's need for funds won't be as pressing at that point.