24-year-old Barcelona star attracting interest from Chelsea, Juventus and Manchester City: Reports
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is hot on transfer radar right now with Chelsea, Juventus and Manchester City all interested in signing him, as per El Nacional.
The 24-year-old Dutch midfielder joined the Catalan club in 2019. He was signed with the hope of replacing Barcelona stalwart Sergio Busquets in the long run.
However, de Jong was used in different roles under former managers Ernesto Valverde and Ronald Koeman. With Xavi now in charge at Nou Camp, de Jong's importance at the club has waned further.
With Barcelona looking to sell big players who are not very influential at the club, de Jong's name has inevitably entered the rumor mill.
Chelsea keen on signing Frenkie de Jong
Chelsea have N'Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic as their first-choice midfielders at the club. The loan spell for Saul has not worked out for the Blues.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has failed to cement his first-team spot and might be loaned out again. Given the situation, reports have confirmed that Chelsea are interested in signing the Dutch midfielder.
Given his young age, he will be a smart option for the Blues and a long-term addition to the club. The Dutch magista can be a good replacement for Jorginho and help in distributing the ball from the back.
Manchester City want a successor to Fernandinho
Fernandinho is a veteran for Manchester City in the English Premier League. The Brazilian midfielder has won several titles at the Etihad and, despite being in the dusk of his career, is an important player for City.
Rodri has been dubbed as his replacement but the Spaniard's game has not been at the highest level for City. He does have good games but consistency has been a problem for Rodri.
Given the situation, it is understandable that City want to sign de Jong. The Dutchman is a natural ball distributor and will fit in seamlessly at the Eithad. He can be an excellent long-term solution given his age.
Juventus want Barcelona star de Jong
Juventus signed Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax in 2019, the same summer his Dutch team-mate went to Barcelona. They will now want to reunite the two stars and hope their partnership can bring stability to their backline and defensive midfield.
Juventus need a deep-lying midfielder who can make dirty tackles, win balls and recycle possession as well. Dutch star de Jong will be the perfect man for that role.