Why Xavi's Pjanic stance hints that De Jong could join Man Utd
Stuart Telford
- Updated: 10 Jul 2022 08:37 CDT
- 3 min read
With Xavi wanting to have a second look at midfield flop Miralem Pjanic, Frenkie de Jong's transfer from Barcelona to Manchester United has never seemed closer.
De Jong has long been linked to Manchester United as Erik ten Hag's top transfer target as the Dutch coach looks to mould the Red Devils into his own image. The pair were successful together at Ajax, and the hope is that there is more to come at Old Trafford.
Stay at Barcelona on reduced wages or join Man Utd 🤔
Which option should Frenkie de Jong pick ❓ pic.twitter.com/SNSgKXPybp— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) July 3, 2022
Despite De Jong previously describing Barcelona as his dream club, the Catalans find themselves needing to cash in on one of their most saleable asset having seen debts rise to €1bn as recently as last summer.
De Jong took some persuading to leave Camp Nou, but Football Transfers understands a move is now close with Xavi looking at a potential midfield replacement already on the books at Barcelona.
What is happening with Pjanic?
Pjanic joined Barcelona from Juventus for €65 million in the summer of 2020 but only managed six La Liga starts the following season. When Barca sanctioned the Bosnian's loan to Besiktas for 2020/21, Pjanic looked to be firmly on the scrapheap.
But the former Lyon, Roma and Juventus star could be set for a second chance with Xavi with Spanish sports daily Mundo Deportivo reporting that Pjanic could even link up with the squad for their pre-season tour of the USA.
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"Pjanic joined the rest of his teammates on 4 July after his loan in Turkey, in which he went largely unnoticed," they wrote. "Despite this, the Barca coach wants to give him a chance... While Francisco Trincao is one step away from returning to Portugal, the Bosnian's departure isn't so close."
What does that mean for Frenkie?
Pjanic is a box-to-box midfielder who could add valuable squad depth for Barcelona should De Jong leave. Whilst Sergio Busquets' skill-set is unique at the base of Xavi's three-man midfield, having the option of Pjanic as well as Gavi, Pedri and new signing Franck Kessie either side of him would make a De Jong departure palatable from a tactical point of view.
De Jong's move to United has taken twists and turns this summer, the fact Pjanic is back in the mix at Barcelona shows that they are planning for life after the Dutchman.
