Manchester City consider move for Barcelona sensation

Manchester City have been heavily involved in the transfer window, despite only bringing in one arrival so far. 

The Citizens signed midfielder Mateo Kovacic from rivals Chelsea in a deal that could be worth a reported £30 million.

The Sky Blues snapped up the Croatian after losing Ilkay Gundogan to Spanish side Barcelona following the expiration of his contract at the Etihad Stadium.

Despite the arrival of Kovacic, the treble winners don’t seem content yet and appear to still be on the hunt for further reinforcements.

City have been heavily linked with a move for West Ham United and England star Declan Rice, although the Hammers star has also attracted significant interest from Arsenal and it has since been reported that City have pulled out of the race for the midfielder.

Guardiola is therefore looking at other potential targets to bolster his squad, and it appears that he has a La Liga star at the top of his list.

Pep Guardiola has reportedly been a long-term admirer of Frenkie De Jong

According to The Sun, Manchester City are considering a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong.

The reports states that Guardiola is a huge admirer of the Dutchman and even tried to sign him back in 2019 when De Jong was playing for Dutch side Ajax.

De Jong, 26, signed for Catalan giants Barcelona for around £74m after establishing himself as one of the best young players in the world during his time in Amsterdam.

In total, he has made 183 appearances for the Spanish side across all competitions, scoring 15 goals and providing 21 assists.

However, it could be a difficult transfer to pull off as the Netherlands international doesn’t want to leave Catalonia any time soon, something which he made clear after failing to agree personal terms with Manchester United last year.

Barcelona are reportedly willing to sell the midfielder for around £90m, as it will help to appease their financial difficulties.

The 26-year-old’s contract is not due to expire until 2026, though, which puts Barcelona in a commanding position during any potential negotiations.