FC Barcelona failed in the summer in an attempt to transfer Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United for a lot of money. Accordingly, the club initially remains on the Dutchman and has to pay him a salary that can hardly be paid. However, the Catalans will probably keep an eye out for potential buyers in the next transfer phases as well. The club also has its sights set on a replacement candidate.
As is well known, FC Barcelona has a squad available that is on the verge of being financially viable for the club or even beyond. Barca would still like to part ways with Frenkie de Jong to save costs. According to sport.es, this is mainly due to the fact that the ideal candidate for the successor has already been found. We are talking about the Belgian Youri Tielemans, who is currently still under contract with Leicester City. The 25-year-old has been playing very well in the Premier League for years and only has one contract that runs until 2023.
Tielemans has not yet reached a decision regarding a contract extension. The Belgian only wants to do this after the World Cup. In any case, it is clear that an offer from Barcelona would be difficult to refuse. Mainly because of his age, the 25-year-old is a more serious candidate than Chelsea pros Jorginho and Kanté, who are unlikely to be an issue. Barca’s intention is clear. A 1-1 replacement for De Jong of the same age would have been found, which is free of charge and costs less salary. In addition, the club would definitely earn a large sum from the sale of the Dutchman. Due to the impending Champions League exit and the TV revenue that has already been squandered in recent years, such a deal would be truly lucrative. Ultimately, however, Barca also need to find a club that De Jong also wants to join. This may be more difficult than convincing Tielemans to make a move.
This article was originally published on 90min.com as Barca plan de Jong farewell: Tielemans to come.
