Barcelona will try to sell Frenkie de Jong in the January transfer window, having failed to move him on in summer.
De Jong was the subject of an intense transfer saga throughout the summer with Manchester United keen to sign him, but a deal could not be struck before the window shut.
90min learned in July that United had agreed an initial fee of £63m (€75m) with Barcelona for De Jong’s transfer and that the player was open to the move, but disputes over unpaid wages ultimately saw things stall and collapse.
Deferred wages owed to the Dutchman by Barcelona complicated a transfer away from the club, with Barcelona unwilling to pay them and De Jong’s team unwilling to compromise also.
As a result, De Jong stayed put in Barcelona with Erik ten Hag missing out on a key target. However, Forbes report that Barca will try to sell the 25-year-old again when the January transfer window opens.
Scott Saunders, Graeme Bailey and Toby Cudworth bring you a brand new episode of Talking Transfers. The team discuss the fallout from the summer transfer window, Gavi’s contract situation at Barcelona, Chelsea’s midfield issues, Antony’s suitability at Man Utd and more. Available on all audio platforms and the 90min YouTube channel.
If you can’t see the podcast embed, click here to download the episode in full!
They state that a lack of Champions League football also contributed to De Jong’s potential move to United falling through, as well as his desire to succeed under Barcelona head coach Xavi.
Xavi has backed De Jong to succeed at Barca in the public domain, but his team selections so far this season suggest that the Dutchman still has work to do to climb the pecking order.
He has featured in all of Barcelona’s five La Liga fixtures so far this season but started in only two of those, scoring in their most recent game – a 4-0 thrashing of Cadiz.
Leave a Reply