De Jong considers leaving Barcelona, opening the door to MU
Dutch star Frenkie de Jong is considering leaving Barcelona after more than five years at the club.
Once expected to become a mainstay of the Catalan team when he moved from Ajax in 2019 for £62 million, De Jong felt disappointed after only winning 3 titles: 1 La Liga, 1 Copa del Rey and 1 Spanish Super Cup.
In an interview with Voetbal International, De Jong shared that he expected to win at least double that number of titles. The lack of competition and Barcelona's difficulties in meeting their high ambitions have made him consider his future.
Manchester United was a rumoured destination for De Jong in 2022, when coach Erik ten Hag was keen to reunite with his former student at Ajax. At that time, Barcelona was in financial trouble and wanted to sell him, but De Jong was determined to stay because of his love for the team.
Now, with De Jong having only started one La Liga game this season due to injury and his place in the squad no longer guaranteed, the question of his future has become urgent. According to Mirror, if De Jong decides to leave, Manchester United will be one of the teams ready to recruit him, especially when the Old Trafford team is looking for a quality midfielder to strengthen the midfield.
However, De Jong's price tag and competition from other clubs such as Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain could make the deal difficult. The final decision will still depend on whether Barcelona can change the current situation to keep the 26-year-old star.