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Opinion
Alfredo RelañoBarça’s summer transfer business dependent on De Jong exit

Barça’s summer transfer business dependent on De Jong exit

Update:

Manchester United are ready to pay Barcelona 85m euros for De Jong. Frenkie, that is; Luuk has already gone. It’s a crucial transfer deal for the Blaugrana, because the midfielder is the only player with real market value that Xavi can offload without hurting his side. De Jong’s influence has waned now Gavi has established himself in the first team - though how much influence he ever had is questionable, because he hasn’t delivered as hoped. Indeed, the level of patience shown in De Jong comes down to Barça’s tendency to trust in anything Dutch. It’s an attitude ingrained in the fabric of the club ever since Johan Cruyff’s two spells at the Camp Nou.

De Jong hasn’t replicated his Ajax form at Barça

Michael Reiziger, Winston Bogarde, Boudewijn Zenden, the De Boer brothers, Marc Overmars, Patrick Kluivert, Mark van Bommel, Sergiño Dest (he’s American, but Dutch-born), Memphis Depay, the De Jongs, Louis van Gaal… So many Dutchmen, so little to show for such faith in their abilities. Frenkie is a stylish, mobile player with some degree of scoring ability - given his goal return at Barça, it can’t be considered a true strength - and I have to say I absolutely loved him when I saw him play for Ajax at the Bernabéu. But he was in his ideal environment at the Dutch club; at Barça, he has never been able to really make his mark on the team. Since breaking through, Gavi has overtaken him.

Player put off by lack of UCL football at United

All that’s left is for De Jong to agree to join United. The Red Devils are said to be happy to pay him his 16m-euro after-tax salary, which costs Barça 30m but would work out as less in the UK. Right now, LaLiga is the major European league whose country has the toughest tax rates. Selling De Jong is crucial to allowing sporting director Mateu Alemany to revamp the squad: not only because of the fee Barça would bring in, but also the money they’d save on wages. De Jong is dragging his feet, though, because United aren’t in next season’s Champions League - the same reason why Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Old Trafford. Barça are trying to twist De Jong’s arm; their summer business depends on his departure.