Man City 'held talks' with Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong and more transfer rumours

Manchester City reportedly held talks with the father of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong before he signed for Spanish giants Barcelona in 2019.

The Dutchman was one of the most in-demand players after impressing with Ajax, with the 25-year-old part of the side that reached the 2018/19 Champions League semi-final. De Jong was linked with several sides around the globe but ultimately chose to join Barcelona.

However, things could have been very different for the Netherlands international, with his father claiming that he was a target for City.

"He talked with [Thomas] Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain, he talked with [Pep] Guardiola at Manchester City. They all wanted Frenkie," his father John told The Athletic. "He was interested. Guardiola, very good coach. Tuchel, very good coach. Good clubs, so you speak to them. And then came Barcelona and for Frenkie it was clear."

Elsewhere, Calciomercato have reported that the Blues are set to compete with Premier League rivals Chelsea for the signing of Brazilian youngster Andrey Santos.

The 18-year-old, who has registered eight goals in 33 league appearances, has attracted interest from a number of sides in Europe, with Newcastle, Barcelona, PSG and Real Madrid all said to be monitoring the midfielder after his impressive showings.

The report claims that City are confident that Guardiola - who recently signed a new two-year contract at the Etihad - can lure the player to the club. It is thought that a fee of € 15million will be needed for any club to sign the midfielder, given that Santos is under contract until June 2027.

City have history with Vasco da Gama having signed now-Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz from the Brazilian side in 2017 for a €12million fee.