Barcelona are reportedly open to letting Frenkie de Jong leave the club in the summer as incoming Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag plots a move for the midfielder.
According to reports, Ten Hag is interested in signing the 24-year-old, who has made 136 appearances for Barcelona since making the move from Ajax in 2019. In that time, he has lifted the Copa del Rey and won their Players' Player of the Year award.
Nemanja Matic has already confirmed he will depart the Red Devils at the end of the season and Paul Pogba 's contract is set to expire in the summer, leaving them relatively short in midfield. United are looking at bringing in at least two players in that position as they look to bolster their squad.
West Ham United's Declan Rice and Leeds United enforcer Kalvin Phillips have both been linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent months. The duo impressed for England at Euro 2020, featuring in all seven games on route to the final of the tournament.
Despite supposedly wanting a fresh challenge, David Moyes is keen on keeping Rice at the club, while Leeds are hoping to tie Phillips to a new contract with his current deal up in 2024. This could make it tough for United to convince the pair to join them given they could miss out on Champions League football.
With Ten Hag expected to implement his possession-based, attacking style on the team, he may prefer to sign someone with experience of his system already. De Jong was part of the Ajax side which reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2018/19, ultimately losing out to Tottenham Hotspur.
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Spanish television show El Chiringuito have claimed that Ten Hag will explore the possibility of bringing De Jong to United and Barcelona won't reject any approach. After impressing under Ronald Koeman last season, it is safe to say he has struggled for form this term.
Teenagers Pedri and Gavi are both ahead of the £65million man in the pecking order, while the 33-year-old Sergio Busquets remains a mainstay in the side just in front of the back four. With Xavi adopting a 4-3-3 system, this has meant De Jong has had his minutes limited due to the performances of other players.
The source said Barcelona have set an asking price of £58million which represents a small loss on the fee they paid just three years ago. However, the Catalan giants must sell some of their star assets if they want to bolster their ranks with more additions in the summer.
When asked about De Jong's future, Xavi said: "Frenkie is very important for me, for the club and for the team. He is a footballer who has to mark an era with his quality and personality.
"He is at a very good level since I arrived and he has to continue scoring goals, assists, and being the protagonist in games. He could be one of the best midfielders in the world in the coming years."
