Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has been the subject of never-ending transfer speculations over the past six months.
The Netherlands international was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United last summer, with reports going as far as claiming that the Red Devils had agreed on a transfer fee with Barça. However, the midfielder’s reluctance to leave meant that the move did not go through.
Chelsea, too, were interested in de Jong in the summer and had made overtures. But, de Jong’s stance remained firm despite the Blaugrana reverting to pressure tactics to force him out as they sought to get his wages off the books and generate revenue from his sale.
Having initially lost his place in the starting XI, de Jong has worked his way back into the side on the back of impressive performances as an interior midfielder and a pivot. So much so that, Xavi sees him as a pivotal part of the team going forward.
But Barcelona’s financial situation remains a concern and should things not improve, major sales could be required in the summer. And SPORT is now reporting that Bayern Munich are keeping close tabs on de Jong and his situation at Camp Nou, hoping to swoop in for him in the summer.
Bayern have been long-term admirers of the Dutch midfielder. They were considering a move for him last summer itself but decided against it as things had gotten tense between them and Barcelona due to the Robert Lewandowski negotiations.
On top of that, the Bavarians had also invested heavily to sign de Jong’s compatriots Matthijs de Ligt and Ryan Gravenberch. But, the interest in the Barça midfielder has not faded and they could try to sign him next summer as they believe the Blaugrana could be forced into sales due to their circumstances.
De Jong, for his part, has always maintained that he wants to succeed at Barcelona. He turned down bigger offers from the likes of PSG in order to move to Camp Nou in 2019. He never considered joining Manchester United or Chelsea this past summer either
But, Bayern Munich could be a different prospect. The German giants are always competing for trophies and have a solid structure at the club, which could appeal to the former Ajax ace.
Reports have suggested that Barcelona are trying to negotiate a salary reduction with de Jong. But should those talks fail to yield the desired result, the Catalans could entertain offers for the midfielder. And Bayern are closely watching the situation as they look to make a play for the 25-year-old