“Many things that are being said are not true, and that bothers me”
Frenkie De Jong, a generally quite calm player, had his run-ins with journalists at the press conference he gave prior to the tie in the round of 16 against Napoli in the Champions League.
The Dutchman's entourage has always been surrounded by transfer rumors since he swapped Amsterdam for Barcelona in 2019, due to the club's financial situation, although the known data on the player's salary in recent times has supported the player a lot.
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With De Jong, who recently became a father, happy in Barcelona and sporting director Deco confirming the club's intentions to retain the 26-year-old this summer, an exit currently seems unlikely. However, Barça's financial problems mean that the sale of De Jong cannot be definitively ruled out.
The Dutch star would have plenty of suitors, and here are some potential candidates for his signature if he were available.
While Ange Postecoglou has been able to convince many to sign for Tottenham since arriving in north London last summer, it would take a lot more than just words to persuade De Jong to swap Barcelona for the Lilywhites.
Spurs may be on the rise, but they would need to make a bigger impact in the Champions League to convince the Dutchman. De Jong, of course, would be an immense addition to Tottenham's midfield and would likely function as the number 6 in Ange's setup.
The midfielder was reportedly close to joining Spurs long before his move to Barca and some Spanish media broke the news of a €60 million bid from the Premier League club for the 26-year-old. However, those reports have since been dismissed.
Probability: 2/10
De Jong was once on the verge of a move to Old Trafford in the summer of 2022, with a £70m deal supposedly done. However, the transfer fell through and United turned to veteran Casemiro to mitigate his midfield problems at the end of the transfer window.
Erik ten Hag, who oversaw De Jong's development at Ajax, was a major factor in the Dutchman's interest two years ago, and although United have been linked with the 26-year-old again, there are no guarantees that Ten Hag is at the club beyond the summer.
Even so, United also have a complicated battle to qualify for next season's new Champions League.
That said, the INEOS-led project could pair De Jong with the Red Devils, who are set to make more moves in midfield.
Probability: 3/10
Like PSG, De Jong, whose profile is relatively difficult to define, is not exactly the midfielder that Bayern Munich needs.
Bayern still need someone in the mold of Joao Palhinha, who came close to joining the club last summer. The number 6 that the Bavarian club needs is a player capable of winning duels, who is stabilizing and defensive.
Despite everything, the great De Jong has aspects of the midfielder that Bayern could seek and his athleticism means that he should have no problem adapting to the space paradise that is the Bundesliga.
Bayern reportedly shortlisted De Jong after missing out on Declan Rice last summer and could consider the 26-year-old at the end of what looks set to be a trophyless 2023/24 season.
Even if he is not the number 6 that Bayern desperately needs, De Jong would be an upgrade on Leon Goretzka, Konrad Laimer and even Joshua Kimmich.
Probability: 4/10
No matter how the 2023/24 campaign turns out for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta will surely be looking for a replacement in midfield this summer.
Thomas Partey, who is never available, will almost certainly no longer be at the club, while Jorginho, 32, will only sign a short-term contract with the club if he extends his stay.
The Gunners were linked with a host of young midfield stars ahead of the January window and Real Sociedad's Martín Zubimendi is reportedly on their summer wishlist. However, the Gunners must consider De Jong if his finances allow them to move forward.
He would be absolutely ideal for Arteta given his subtle versatility and all-round talent. Let's imagine De Jong and Declan Rice working together. It would be unfair.
Probability: 5/10
When reports were rife about Barca needing to sell De Jong this summer to ease their financial burden, PSG were at the forefront of potential candidates.
The French giants are parting ways with Kylian Mbappé this summer and are on the verge of moving away from their Galacticos recruitment approach, which failed to generate the desired rewards on the continental stage.
PSG has in Luis Enrique, a coach who is undoubtedly capable of supervising the project, but there are holes in its squad, apart from the monstrous void that Mbappé will leave.
Luis Enrique has been blessed with an array of talented midfielders, including Vitinha, Warren Zaire-Emery and Fabián Ruiz, but Manuel Ugarte has so far been left without options in the big moments. De Jong may not be the profile that PSG requires, but the Dutchman would be a considerable improvement over the Uruguayan.
Probability: 6/10
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