It has been claimed that it is highly unlikely that Manchester City will be able to seal a transfer for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this summer.
This comes from Dean Jones, who was speaking to Football Fan Cast about whether Pep Guardiola’s men could end up signing the £68 million (Independent) man.
However, Dean Jones believes it is improbable that Manchester City prise Frenkie de Jong away from Barcelona ahead of next season.
Journalist: Unlikely that Manchester City wrap up transfer for Barcelona maestro Frenkie de Jong
Branded as ‘very intelligent’ by Lionel Messi, the 26-year-old is potentially the most natural replacement for Ilkay Gundogan in the world when analysing his attributes.
But unlike the treble-winning captain, the Dutchman is not a threat in the final third, but due to his mastery of the No.8 role, his potential addition could come in handy if Bernardo Silva also leaves the Etihad Stadium.
However, a claim has been made that Manchester City will find it next to impossible to sign Frenkie de Jong.
“They only really intended to go out and do [Josko] Gvardiol and [Mateo] Kovacic, but we shouldn’t rule out other players arriving and one of those is the potential for a midfielder. Frenkie de Jong has been linked; I can’t see them being able to get Frenkie in this window.”
The Dutchman not be the dream signing that one would presume
Even if Manchester City did pull off a surprise in the transfer market by signing Frenkie de Jong, it would not be the masterstroke many would expect it to be.
Due to how technically gifted De Jong is coupled with how much of an archetypal Guardiola midfielder is, this is not to suggest that he would not succeed in a sky blue shirt.
However, in Manchester City’s current system, a partner to Kevin De Bruyne in one of the advanced midfield spots remains key, as that was the specific role Ilkay Gundogan played last season.
Much like Mateo Kovacic, Frenkie de Jong too is at his best in a deeper position and profiles almost identically to him, which is why he would be quite a futile addition to the side.
