Frenkie de Jong, who earns best at Barcelona, is in what is described as a state of unrest. Once hailed as a golden boy by Xavi’s team, under Hansi Flick he has become increasingly peripheral and now appears to be on his way out.
Rumours in Spain have suggested that the Blaugrana may be prepared to let De Jong leave on a free transfer in the summer, but there is more immediate interest in the Dutch international star.
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The 27-year-old has long been sought after by teams in England, especially by Manchester United when Erik ten Hag was manager.
De Jong, on the other hand, got on his hind legs and was not willing to give up his huge contract at Barca. The giant salary is still an issue that will stop most transfers. Fichajes writes that Tottenham are considering ways to do this.
“Tottenham, under the command of Ange Postecoglou, are looking to strengthen their midfield with a quality and versatile profile like De Jong. His ability to handle the ball under pressure, distribute it accurately and contribute both in attack and defence makes him the ideal candidate,” says Fichajes.
“Meanwhile, Manchester United, led by Ruben Amorim, is also very interested in securing the services of him.”
Moving to Spurs would be a smart move for De Jong, according to data analytics experts SciSports. Using the firm’s career advice tool, which calculates a club’s suitability based on many factors, including playing time, potential development, style of play and formation, it suggests that a move to Postecoglou’s side could revive the midfielder’s ailing career.
Tottenham achieves a high Club Fit score of 81. Spurs in particular could offer De Jong five stars when it comes to playing time and have a style that suits him nicely. In fact, Spurs are the best rated among all Premier League teams in terms of suitability for the former Ajax star. Aston Villa comes next on 76, followed by Arsenal and Manchester City on 75.
Man Utd are all the way down to 70, but this is before the effect of Ruben Amorim has kicked in, so this could well change in the months ahead. The biggest fear for De Jong at Old Trafford is that he would not develop to his full potential.
Overall, Bayern Munich is seen as the most suitable for the Barcelona star with a Club Fit score of 84, although playing time would be an issue for De Jong at Bayern.
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