Barcelona leaning towards the sale of Frenkie de Jong | OneFootball

Barcelona are becoming increasingly open to letting go of Frenkie de Jong in the summer, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.

The report adds that de Jong is no longer viewed as indispensable as he used to be with each passing day and that Xavi Hernandez will not oppose his exit provided a replacement of similar quality is signed.

Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva is believed to be Xavi’s most preferred option in the event that de Jong, who still has four years left on his contract at Camp Nou, leaves the club in the upcoming transfer market.

Off the back of a relatively underwhelming campaign last time out, the Dutchman has stated his desire to remain with the Blaugrana nonetheless but their financial troubles could see them elect to sell him.

Barcelona are eyeing up moves for both Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski and Leeds United’s Raphinha and would need to generate funds with both players expected to cost around €90million combined.

This is certainly music to the ears of Manchester United as they seek to complete one of the biggest Premier League transfers of the current window by luring de Jong to Old Trafford where he would reunite with former boss Erik ten Hag ahead of the 2022/23 season.

Per Marca, The Red Devils have already made their first move for the ex-Ajax midfielder with an opening offer of €60m plus a further €20m in add-ons which is currently under consideration by the Barcelona hierarchy.

However, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Bayern Munich are also thought to be interested in snapping up de Jong and a lack of Champions League football which all of the aforementioned clubs can offer could throw a spanner in the works of United’s pursuit of the 25-year-old.