Barcelona superstar valued at around £90m linked with shock Premier League transfer - Reports
According to The Sun, Manchester City are looking to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who's valued at £90 million.
Ilkay Gundogan recently left the Cityzens to join the Blaugrana on a free transfer. Hence, the Sky Blue are looking to reinforce their ranks. They have already signed Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea.
However, Pep Guardiola's side, who won the European treble last season, are keen on further reinforcements. They have saw a bid for Declan Rice rejected by West Ham. City have now turned their attention towards De Jong.
The Dutchman has been a key player for Barca since arriving at the club in 2019. He has made 183 appearances across competitions, scoring 15 goals and providing 21 assists. De Jong made 43 appearances across competitions last season, scoring twice and assisting four times.
De Jong is contracted with the club till 2026. He has an estimated market value of €75 million. However, a fee of £90 million could be required to lure him away from Barca, a sum Manchester city are capable of paying.
Barcelona's Ilkay Gundogan showers praise on former Manchester City teammate
Ilkay Gundogan has completed a transfer from Manchester City to Barcelona. The German midfielder showered praise on his former teammate Erling Haaland, who was a key player for City last season.
Haaland scored 52 goals across competitions in his first season in England. Since his move from Borussia Dortmund, Haaland has turned out to be a great player for Pep Guardiola's side.
Speaking about the Norwegian, Gundogan said (via Hindustan Times):
"Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when he came here. You see the goals and all the attention that he was getting at Dortmund, and you wonder if he’s going to fit with the group."
He added:
"When I got to know him, I was so surprised how someone could be that talented and still have the will to be even better every single day. He’s never satisfied. I feel like there are no limits for him. Messi and Ronaldo are the only comparison for the level he could reach."
Erling Haaland is still only 22 and is only going to get better with time. He will be expected to become a stalwart for Manchester City in the coming years. Hence, it's understandable why Barcelona's Gundogan raved about the striker.