Arsenal enter race for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong

Barcelona need to continue raising funds if they are to make signings in the summer, and one possible player that could be sold is Frenkie de Jong, whose contract situation has caused headaches for the Catalans over the last couple of years.

Earlier in the season, it had seemed inevitable that de Jong would move on from Barcelona in the summer. However, he has turned his fortunes around in recent weeks, and now he is considered to be a regular starter by head coach Hansi Flick. On the back of this, he is now reportedly keen to extend his stay at the club.

Currently, no talks have taken place between sporting director Deco and de Jong’s representatives, although they are scheduled to happen in the coming weeks. The hope is that an agreement is reached before the summer, but if not, it would mean that Barcelona place him on the market so as to avoid losing him for nothing when his current deal runs out in 2026.

If de Jong is available in the summer, a move to the Premier League appears to be his most likely destination. Liverpool have registered their interest, and now TBR Football (via ED) have reported that Arsenal are also considering a pursuit for the Dutch midfielder during the transfer window.

Barcelona would need to accept a reduced price if de Jong was to be sold in the summer, and that would be a big blow. He has been in excellent form in recent weeks, and it is clear that Flick would want to retain his services, but equally, he would need to be moved on if there was no hope of him signing a new contract before his current deal runs out. For now, it does seem more likely that he will stay, but it cannot be taken for granted.