Liverpool rekindles summer interest in Barcelona superstar Frenkie de Jong
As per Liverpool Echo, Liverpool FC are ‘keeping an eye’ on the situation of FC Barcelona’s Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong. The 25-year-old was subject to a move away from Camp Nou for the entirety of last summer. Eventually, the front-runners’ Manchester United saw their offer rejected by the former Ajax Amsterdam man.
The midfielder feels ‘disgusted‘ by his treatment at the Catalan club, and is seeking a move away. This season though, the player is not starting as many games as he would have liked to. From a possible 10, De Jong has started only four games.
One could argue that these games Xavi Hernandez chose to start him in were not against top-quality opposition. De Jong is too good a player to be sitting on the bench, and it makes sense for him to seek a move away if Barcelona seem to not value his presence at the club.
In the 10 games he has featured in this season, the Dutchman has one goal to boot. All in all, 150 appearances for the Blaugrana wherein Frenkie has scored on 14 occasions and has 17 assists to his name.
Could Frenkie fit at Liverpool?
He is a box-to-box midfielder like Georginio Wijnaldum, who Liverpool have failed to replace since he departed from the club in 2020. Since Gini has left, the Reds have not had a recognised box-to-box player who could carry the ball and also provide defensive stability.
This season’s initial runs of games have shown us already the need for a midfielder, and a young one, given how most of our current options are over the age of 30. De Jong could prove to be more than just a decent option, and at 25, his prime years are still ahead of him.
De Jong will probably be a cheaper option than Jude Bellingham, who has a value of £131m as per Borussia Dortmund. The Englishman is also pursued by Real Madrid. That is something which could almost force Liverpool to look for alternatives.
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De Jong’s contract at the Catalan giants expires in 2026. With a lot of time to go for that, De Jong could set the Reds back by a heavy amount. However, if he pushes for a move, Barca could be cornered to write him off for a rebated fee.
