Manchester City to insist on Barcelona superstar being included in exchange deal for Raheem Sterling - Reports
According to a report by El Nacional, Barcelona might need to include Frenkie de Jong in a deal if they wish to sign Manchester City's Raheem Sterling.
The Dutch midfielder joined the Blaugrana from Ajax in the summer of 2019. He has been one of the most consistent performers for Barcelona in the last two years and is a key figure for both club and his country.
The Catalunya side, however, is plotting a move for Manchester City's Sterling in January to bolster their attack. Ousmane Dembélé has been linked with a move away from Camp Nou, which will make Sterling a great addition to the Blaugrana.
Man City could reportedly ask Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong as part of a swap deal for Raheem Sterling.
Manchester City, on the other hand, are planning on taking advantage of Barcelona's perilous financial situation to bring de Jong onboard at the Etihad. The Cityzens will also offer €20 million besides Sterling to ensure they land the Dutch midfielder.
Barcelona, however, are currently unwilling to sell de Jong and will wait for new manager Xavi to make the final call.
Frenkie de Jong has featured 106 times for Barcelona, amassing nine goals and 14 assists along the way. However, the Blaugrana have found themselves in murky waters this season. Reports suggest that several European clubs are interested in capturing de Jong at the earliest, with Manchester United also said to be part of the mix.
City's Fernandinho is also in the twilight of his career and could make his way out of the club next summer. This leaves a massive void in the team's midfield. The Cityzens will be hoping to bring de Jong on board to keep him as a long-term replacement for the celebrated Brazilian midfielder.
Barcelona is struggling while Manchester City continue their dominance in England
The Blaugrana has had a tumultuous season so far. They currently sit in ninth position and have won just one out of their last five domestic matches and are eight points behind arch-rivals Real Madrid.
Ansu Fati has returned after 10 months and scored four times in eight matches. Sadly, Barcelona will be without him for the next 4-6 weeks as the Spanish forward limped off with an injury against Celta Vigo.
The news means Fati will miss both Champions League games against Benfica and Bayern Munich, as well as outings in the La Liga against Espanyol, Villarreal, Real Betis, and Osasuna.
‼️ INJURY NEWS
The tests this evening on the player @ANSUFATI have revealed that he has injured the femoral biceps in his left thigh and will be unavailable for selection until he recovers https://t.co/0S9kfPslhF
Barcelona will also be without Sergio Aguero until 2022 as the Argentinian has been suffering from cardiac arrhythmia. This leaves Blaugrana short of attacking options in the coming months.
[COMUNICADO MÉDICO]
El jugador Kun Agüero ha sido sometido a un procedimiento diagnóstico y terapéutico a cargo del dr. Josep Brugada. Es baja y durante los próximos tres meses se evaluará la efectividad del tratamiento para determinar su proceso de recuperación https://t.co/PQ930D9vKd
Meanwhile, Manchester City have returned to winning ways after a harrowing defeat against Crystal Palace last weekend. They currently sit in second position and are three points behind table leaders Chelsea after defeating Manchester United on Saturday.
Manchester City will be hoping to continue their winning run as they take on Everton on November 21 after the international break.