FC Barcelona Receive $100 Million Plus Transfer Deadline Day Offer For De Jong

A European football club has bid in excess of €100mn ($94.9mn) for FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong on transfer deadline day.

This was claimed by transfer market expert Gerard Romero, who has been one of the leading voices on the Blaugrana’s recent signings, with just hours to spare until the current window closes on September 1.

The club has thus far been unnamed, but De Jong has been strongly linked to the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in recent months.

In mid-July, Manchester United and Barca were said to have agreed an €85mn ($84.5mn) deal for the 25-year-old, who then turned the PremierPINC
League giants down due to their lack of Champions League football.

A desire to make things work under current Barca coach Xavi Hernandez has also been cited as another motive for De Jong to stay put, with the Netherlands international failing to win major silverware other than the 2020-2021 Copa del Rey across three seasons since joining the Catalans from Ajax for a €75mn ($74.5mn) fee in 2019.

Elsewhere in England, Chelsea were said to be keen to match Manchester United’s offer to both Barca and the player.

Despite them being able to provide De Jong with matches in Europe’s mentioned elite club competition, however, the playmaker could not be tempted into swapping the Catalan capital for its British counterpart.

Minutes before Romero’s revelation broke, transfer market guru Fabrizio Romano claimed that De Jong would stay in Barcelona. But it now remains to be seen whether Barca accept the supposed offer and if De Jong can be persuaded to depart.

After Xavi managed to have Jules Kounde, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski bolster his squad ahead of the 2022/2023 season, Manchester City ace Bernardo Silva was his last remaining transfer target.

Though there were reports that it was Barca president Joan Laporta’s “dream” to have Silva and De Jong in the same team, however, it has been common knowledge that De Jong would have to leave for Silva to join while the club also struggled to balance the books and navigate La Liga’s strict salary cap.