As quoted by AS, Dutch media outlet De Telegraaf reports that Real Madrid are actively searching for a long-term replacement for their 33-year-old playmaker, Luka Modrić, and one of the names at the top of the list of options is Ajax’s Frenkie de Jong.
De Jong has been linked with a number of top European sides, but no link had appeared nearly as serious as the one with Barcelona. The La Liga holders are also looking to rebuild their midfield, with Andres Iniesta and Paulinho out of the club and both Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitić past their 30th birthdays. They came close to snatching de Jong this summer, only for Ajax to refuse to do business in the end due to their participation in the Champions League this season. And even though the player is said to prefer a move to Camp Nou ahead of any other, the delay still opens the door for other clubs to consider stepping in with an offer of a better deal for both Ajax and their 21-year-old midfielder.
Quite apart from his talent, the possibility of signing a long-standing Barcelona target might be very appealing for the 13-time European champions.
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