Arsenal report: Frenkie De Jong set for seismic Barcelona exit, after name-dropping Gunners as ideal club
Arsenal are at the front of the queue for Barcelona superstar Frenkie De Jong, following comments from the Dutchman himself.
De Jong joined the Catalan giants in 2019 after impressing hugely on Ajax’s incredible run to the Champions League semi-finals ā but has been constantly linked with moves since. Manchester United were strongly linked in Erik ten Hag’s first summer at Old Trafford, though wages are thought to be a sticking point in any move.Ā
It’s been reported that De Jong earns around Ā£9 million a year, which would be difficult to negotiate for any Premier League club, though news has emerged that he’s looking to depart La Liga.Ā
Erik ten Hag chased De Jong to no avail in 2022 (Image credit: Getty Images)Spanish outlet Relevo has reported that the 26-year-old is āno longer closing the doorā on a Barcelona exit and could well leave this summer.
This has sparked plenty of hope from Arsenal fans on social media that De Jong could find himself in North London, having admitted in 2019 that he always imagined playing for the Gunners.
āIn my mind, I have had the following list for a long time: Ajax-Arsenal-Barcelona, āācall it the Marc Overmars route,ā he said, before adding, āBut yes, if you can go directly to Barcelona, then you are also right where you want to be. Faster than you ever dared to dream.ā
Marc Overmars went from Ajax to Arsenal to Barcelona ā just as De Jong envisioned doing (Image credit: Getty)Manchester City could well challenge Arsenal for the star, with Pep Guardiola a reported fan. Bernardo Silva apparently has a Ā£50m release clause and a desire to go to BarƧa one day, perhaps making any potential moves between the two players and two sides a little easier.
De Jong is valued by Transfermarkt at ā¬80m.
More Arsenal storiesArsenal have announced a groundbreaking new deal āĀ which could help fund huge summer spending
Arsenal reportedly plotĀ stunning swoop for Manchester United star
Gunners legend Ian Wright on the Gunners moment that ‘broke’ him – āLike ripping your heart outā
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just Ā£1 / $1 / ā¬1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just Ā£1 / $1 / ā¬1
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Cool