Incoming Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag is interested in signing Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong and the club are open to the deal, according to reports.
With Paul Pogba set to leave on a free transfer this summer when his contract expires and Nemanja Matic having already confirmed his looming exit, the Red Devils are looking at bringing in at least two new midfielders.
They have been linked with a number of players already, including Leeds star Kelvin Phillips and West Ham star Declan Rice.
But with Ten Hag looking to replicate his possession-based, attacking football at United, he may prefer to sign a player who knows the Ajax philosophy like the back of his hand.
According to Spanish television show El Chiringuito TV, that has seen Ten Hag and the Red devils explore the possibility of signing De Jong this summer – and Barcelona will not rebuff any approach.
De Jong has struggled to live up to his £65m price tag since leaving Amsterdam for Camp Nou in 2019 while Barca have a number of young players coming through in his position.
Pedri and Gavi have both been impressive while the 33-year-old Sergio Busquets remains a bedrock of the team despite his advancing years.
With Xavi keen to bring in new players this summer, the club realise they must improve their transfer kitty through sales and De Jong is one of few players they are ready to cash in on.
El Chiringuito claim Barcelona have set an asking price of €70m (£58m), which represents a small loss on the fee they paid only three years ago and shows how underwhelming De Jong has been for the Blaugrana.
Speculation has started to swirl around De Jong’s future in recent weeks but Xavi says he still remains a major part of his plans.
‘Frenkie is very important for me, for the club and for the team. He is a footballer who has to mark an era with his quality and personality,’ said the Barcelona boss of the speculation surrounding the midfielder.
‘He is at a very good level since I arrived and he has to continue scoring goals, assists, and being the protagonist in games. He could be one of the best midfielders in the world in the coming years.’
