Recent reports from Spanish media outlet SPORT have revealed that Liverpool are keen on signing Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong in the summer transfer window as Jurgen Klopp looks set to add to his options at the centre of the park.
However, the Dutchman has snubbed the lucrative offer as he wants to succeed at Camp Nou by being an integral part of Xavi’s future plans.
‘De Jong has important offers on the table and he hasn’t quite found his place, but he wants to succeed at the Camp Nou and this summer he won’t listen to anyone. The Dutchman’s idea is to continue at the Blaugrana club to continue being a benchmark and improve his performance. He knows that now there is more competition in midfield, but he is the undisputed starter with Xavi and he is finding himself again on the pitch.’ – The translated version of the report stated.
While the senior figures at Barcelona are fully convinced that de Jong can be an important part of the project in the future, they might be tempted to cash in on him if a ‘multimillion-dollar’ offer comes through – especially given the financial mess they are in.
Nonetheless, the Dutch international’s current contract with the Catalan giants runs until 2026 (£164,000-a-week). With a release clause of 400 million Euros, he can be considered untouchable until and unless the club wants to sell him.
What Should Be Klopp’s Play Here?
With players like Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara, Liverpool are pretty stacked up in the midfield department as of now. Besides, Curtis Jones, Tyler Morton and Harvey Elliott could develop into one of the best in their position in the coming years.
The ones that need replacing are Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (they haven’t performed as per expectations), and James Milner (36).
Given the options, it won’t make much sense to break the bank for the former Ajax star in summer. Klopp should be rather queueing up for Youri Tieleman’s signature as he has expressed his desire to move after reportedly turning down a new contract at Leicester City.
