Stick it out with Barca or transfer to Man Utd? What next for Frenkie de Jong?
Karan Tejwani
- Updated: 25 Apr 2022 17:22 BST
- 3 min read
Frenkie de Jong has had a strange season with Barcelona, and his performance against Rayo Vallecano over the weekend summed that up the best.
The Dutchman started the match but was taken off after 60 minutes and was visibly annoyed with the substitution, going straight to the dressing room as his team fell to a home defeat.
This was another addition to a series of matches where he, like the rest of the team, hasn’t performed well, coming on the back of a strong run of form at the start of 2022.
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What does the future hold for Frenkie de Jong?
It has been a bit of a trend for De Jong and his career at Barcelona – there have been moments of brilliance, but also many moments of inconsistency, and that has been a source of frustration.
There was a belief around the club that following the arrival of Xavi, the inconsistency would be ironed out – and it even showed in Barcelona’s great run of form last month – but that has not been the case.
Rumours around the club suggest that De Jong is now no longer seen as an indispensable member of the squad, and that could open the door for his departure in the summer.
However, it would be silly to cash in on him right now, especially as Xavi has been identified as the club’s long-term manager, and the coach himself is keen on giving the player a chance.
De Jong has not had a coach for longer than two full seasons since joining Barcelona, with Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setien and Ronald Koeman lasting shorter than that period.
In recent days, Manchester United have been touted as a potential destination for De Jong, with incoming manager Erik ten Hag a fan of the midfielder.
The two worked together at Ajax, and De Jong was an integral part of the Ajax team that reached the Champions League semi-final in 2018/19.
It’s too soon to suggest where De Jong will be playing his football, but if any club wants him, they will have to cough up a huge fee, possibly one over €70 million.
But is a move to Man Utd really worth the risk?
