Frenkie de Jong hoping to make dream move to Barcelona but is required to help Ajax qualify for the Champions League before any agreement
- Frenkie de Jong eyes move to Barcelona but Ajax won’t let him go just yet
- Barcelona have already put in three unsuccessful bids for the Dutch midfielder
- If he doesn’t get his dream move to Spain this summer then it is likely to be next
Frenkie de Jong is hoping to complete a dream move to Barcelona this summer but the Dutch club want to retain him at least for a month as they aim to qualify for the Champions League.
The 21-year-old has been on Barcelona’s radar for some time. The Eredivisie powerhouses – who are renown for their nurturing of young talent – have already rejected three bids in the region of £27 and £36million from the Spanish side.
According to Sport, Barcelona are not in any rush to sign De Jong as he has already given them the all clear for the move but come August things could change.
Frenkie de Jong eyes dream move to Barcelona but must help Ajax before any negotiations
After entering the senior fold in the spring of 2015, De Jong has established himself as a focal point of the Ajax side and would have made more appearances last season had he not missed the final nine games through injury.
With versatility a strong suit, he has played a centre midfielder and centre back, splitting his time between them evenly last season, contributing nine assists and a goal in 26 appearances across all competitions.
De Jong has not shied away from the fact that he is a big fan of the city of Barcelona. He has holidayed there with team mates Matthijs De Ligt and Justin Kluivert.
Barcelona have bid three times for De Jong (right) this summer and could try again soon
If Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde (front) doesn’t get him now it could be next year instead
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has to cope with the departure of Andres Iniesta and the likely exit of Andre Gomez in the midfield area.
Valverde believes De Jong is one of a few players that could adjust to Barcelona’s style of play.
Should the youngster – who has gained international caps with Holland at under-18, under-19 and under-21 level – not get his desired move, he will want it to be the following season.
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