Bayern Munich renew interest in Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong
The midfielder recently signed a contract extension with Barcelona.
Frenkie de Jong’s time at Barcelona has been marked with ups and downs. He came to the club with much fanfare after being part of the Ajax team that trounced Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
With the club in turmoil prior to the start of the season, his future at Barcelona was in doubt with Bayern Munich reportedly interested in the Dutch midfielder. A little more than six months into the season, that interest has not gone away.
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According to Mundo Deportivo, the Bundesliga giants have not forgotten about De Jong and have made him a top candidate to strengthen their side for next season.
His performances at Barcelona have been up and down even with the arrival of Ronald Koeman. However, the last handful of games, he’s starting to show some of the form he put on display back in the 2018-19 season with Ajax.
Koeman has played him as part of a double-pivot but with the freedom to push higher up the pitch. That freedom has paid dividends as demonstrated in their latest win against Athletic Bilbao.
De Jong provided the assist to Pedri to put the game level following a cross from Lionel Messi.
In all competitions, he’s also scored twice to go along with his three assists.
Given his improved performances, it is not surprising that Bayern Munich have renewed their interest. Also, given Barcelona’s financial problems, he would be one of the players they could sell and get a sizable fee.
The odds of Barcelona selling De Jong are slim, however. He is a key part of Koeman’s plans having started 16 out of the 17 games in the league and is also likely to be a key part should a new manager take over next season.
He also recently signed a new deal back in October of last year that would keep him at the club through 2026. It also increased his buy-out clause to €400 million.
Anything can happen but at only 23-years-old, along with the likes of Pedri and Ansu Fati, he is a cornerstone that the club should be looking to build around.