What is the transfer value of Man Utd and Bayern target De Jong?

Martin Macdonald

• 27 Apr 2022 10:47 BST
• 4 min read

There was a time when Frenkie de Jong was considered untouchable at Barcelona, but those days are believed to be over.

This week, FootballTransfers revealed that the Blaugrana are planning a major overhaul of their squad this summer which could see as many as 24 players depart.

As well as De Jong, the list includes goalkeepers Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Neto, defenders Sergino Dest, Gerard Pique, Dani Alves (contract expiring), Jordi Alba, Oscar Mingueza and Samuel Umtiti, midfielders Sergio Busquets, Riqui Puig and Sergi Roberto, attackers Ousmane Dembele (expiring), Memphis Depay, Adama Traore (on loan), Martin Braithwaite, Luuk de Jong (on loan) and prolific January signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and loan players Inaki Pena, Alex Collado, Philippe Coutinho, Miralem Pjanic, Francisco Trincao and Rey Manaj.

FOOTBALLTRANSFERS' MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS IN THE WORLD

The following players are not for sale:

Ansu Fati, Pedri, Ronald Araujo, Gavi, Nico Gonzalez, Eric Garcia and January signing Ferran Torres.

How, then, has De Jong's stock fallen?

Once considered one of the best young midfielders in the world at Ajax, De Jong completed a massive €75 million transfer to Barcelona in the summer of 2019. It was widely accepted at the club that the Dutchman represented the heir in central midfield to club legend Sergio Busquets.

Busquets still had a few years in the tank, though, so De Jong was forced to play in a wider position in the midfield three rather than the central spot he was used to.

He has displayed previously what he is capable of on a consistent basis for Barcelona, but that was under former coach Ronald Koeman.

According to Spanish outlet, Sport, the decline in De Jong's performances coincides with Koeman's departure. The pair held a strong relationship, and De Jong publicly backed the head coach while he was under massive pressure after a Champions League loss to Benfica.

Though Xavi is a fan of De Jong and he and the player get on, it is not to the same level as the De Jong-Koeman relationship.

With the likes of Gavi and Nico coming through, De Jong's position in midfield is no longer a guarantee.

That is why Barcelona would be open to the idea of selling him.

He reached a low ebb at Camp Nou at the weekend as he was substituted after 60 minutes in a loss against Rayo Vallecano.

Who could buy De Jong?

Reports this week have suggested that Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are all looking at the player for a potential summer transfer.

Man Utd would be a particularly interesting destination for De Jong as it would see him reuninite with Erik ten Hag, with whom he enjoyed the best form of his career at Ajax.

What is De Jong's transfer value?

Barcelona would accept offers in excess of €60 million for De Jong.

FootballTransfers values the player at €71m.

FootballTransfers' transfer valuations are calculated in collaboration with SciSports, a world-leading football analytics agency that assesses the relative transfer valuations of over 60,000 professional footballers worldwide.

SciSports use multiple data points including current and potential ability, contract length, form, age, and other crucial factors.