Barcelona are working on a deal to sign Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan this summer – a move which would throw the future of Frenkie de Jong, a Manchester United target, into question.
United had an initial transfer fee of £56.2million agreed with Barca to sign the 25-year-old last summer but the player’s wish was to stay at Barca. Former United striker Dwight Yorke claimed the Dutch international privately would not rule out a transfer to Old Trafford.
However, the deal did not materialise as De Jong instead preferred to remain at Camp Nou for this season. The midfielder, 25, is once again top of United’s summer transfer shortlist as his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag aims to bring him to Old Trafford.
De Jong’s preference is again to stay at the Blaugrana but that situation could change over the coming months. Ten Hag is keen to bolster his midfield ranks and believes his fellow Dutchman would be the perfect accompaniment for Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, of whom De Jong is a huge admirer.
The arrivals of the Brazil international and Eriksen helped transform United’s midfield this season, although Marcel Sabitzer’s loan deal at the club expires this summer and the position is an area for strengthening. However, unlike last summer, it will not be the priority of the club’s budget.
Ten Hag is instead focusing on the signing of a centre-forward and a goalkeeper this summer, and while a new midfielder is likely, significant funds are unlikely to be available for the position. Yet Barca’s financial situation remains precarious and they must sell before they can add players this year.
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As per a report in ESPN, the Catalan giants have an agreement in place to sign Athletic Club defender Inigo Martinez as a free agent, while they are also working on a deal to land Gundogan, who is also out of contract this summer.
Both players will not cost any transfer fee but their wages are problematic, with the Blaugrana needing to make an overall reduction in their annual wage budget by €180m (£159m) before adding new signings to their squad. De Jong is their highest earner and that is the motivating factor to the club agreeing to his exit last summer.
Unlike last year, the club will not be able to pull any of their so-called ‘economic levers’ this summer due to La Liga’s strict financial rules. The only way they can raise funds to strengthen their squad is to offload first-team squad players.
Gundogan would add direct competition for De Jong’s place, while Sergio Busquets is expected to renew his contract. The increasing prominence of Pedri, Gavi and Franck Kessie gives Xavi further options in a star-studded midfield.
De Jong’s links to United were the transfer saga of last summer that left both clubs frustrated due to the player’s resistance to a move and a similar scenario may unfold again this year.
