Transfer News: Manchester City handed boost in Frenkie de Jong pursuit

Barcelona are reportedly willing to negotiate with Manchester City over a summer deal for key midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Frenkie de Jong could join Manchester City in the summer transfer window. The Citizens have been handed a major boost in pursuit of the Dutch midfielder, with Barcelona prepared to negotiate a deal for their key player.

Frenkie de Jong is one of the most expensive purchases in Barcelona’s storied history. As compared to other costly arrivals in recent years, like Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho, the 24-year-old has been a consistent performer, making several notable contributions for Barcelona.

The Dutch international is a mainstay for club and country and has made 117 appearances to date for Barcelona. But amid a financial crisis at Barcelona, de Jong has emerged as their most prized commodity, which is why they could sell him in the summer transfer window. The prospect of signing one of the best playmakers in the game has appealed to many European bigwigs, including Manchester City.

The Premier League champions do not have any real need of signing a creative midfielder, as Bernardo Silva has enjoyed a brilliant resurgence this season. But with Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan on the wrong side of 30, Manchester City might soon need to lay down a succession plan for their playmaking stalwarts.

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Frenkie de Jong has emerged as a viable target for Manchester City to that end, with Pep Guardiola keen on bringing him over from Barcelona in the summer. And with Barcelona considering cashing in on him in the summer transfer window, the Premier League heavyweights would have been fancying their chances of snapping him up.

The latest update claims that the Catalan giants are ready to begin negotiations with Manchester City over a summer move. But the Citizens will need to move quickly to secure the services of the Dutch midfielder as he is also a target for Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Liverpool.

The report does not mention a price tag, so it will be interesting to see how much Barcelona will demand in exchange for their key midfielder. But there is a high chance that Manchester City will be able to afford to sign de Jong, considering they landed Jack Grealish in a nine-figure deal last summer.