Barcelona desperate for de Jong

Barcelona have long been linked with a move for Ajax’s Frenkie de Jong as they strive to give their midfield a long-expected re-modeling. The deal looked almost imminent at one point with his agent reportedly giving a verbal promise to the Catalans, but Paris Saint-Germain have stepped into the fray since then and plan to do whatever it takes to bring the coveted youngster to the French capital. The Ligue 1 champions are apparently ready to cut their purse string in a big way, by offering de Jong wages and Ajax a transfer fee which would both be beyond Barcelona’s ability to match.

Barca’s strategy to counter the financial power of PSG seems to be to have the player choose them instead, and according to Marca, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, general manager Pep Segura, director of football Eric Abidal and technical secretary’s assistant Ramon Planes have traveled to Amsterdam in an attempt to show de Jong just how important he is for their plans.

Quite apart from that, Barcelona are apparently keen to avoid another top player rejecting them after Antoine Griezmann chose to stay at Atletico Madrid over a move to Camp Nou last summer.