Barcelona are keen to offload Frenkie de Jong as we move closer to the January transfer window.
Barca signed a number of world-class players and also managed to offload much of the deadwood at the club this past summer transfer window. Suffice to say, they had a very good summer. They are now laying the groundwork for future transfer windows.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 16 October 2022.
Frenkie de Jong says he decided to stay at Barcelona in May
Frenkie de Jong was heavily linked with an exit from Barcelona this summer. Manchester United and Chelsea were interested in signing the Dutchman but he ended up staying put at the Camp Nou.
As per The Telegraph, Barca owed De Jong £17 million in deferred wages and that was one of the main reasons why the player decided against leaving the club. In an interview with Ziggo Sport (via Marca), the 25-year-old has now revealed that he had made the decision to stay at Barca in May. He said:
“I was calm. I decided, in May, that I wanted to stay. My opinion has never changed during all this period – I remained calm. But then you know that the pressure would start coming. Yes, from the newspapers, from the president. From everywhere in fact. But I wanted to stay at Barça, so it never baffled me.”
Neymar facing five years in prison over Barcelona transfer in 2013
Neymar could end up in prison over his transfer from Santos to Barca all the way back in 2013. The 30-year-old will stand trial in Spain on Monday after a Brazilian investment firm sued him for corruption and fraud, according to The Sun.
As per the report, the investment firm DIS owner 40% of Neymar’s player rights. DIS’ lawyers argue that they received only a cut of the €17 million that both Santos and Barca had announced as the transfer fee between the clubs.
The real cost of the deal was reportedly in the ballpark of €83 million, as declared by an investigative judge in Spain. The trial is expected to continue until the end of October.
Liverpool enter race to sign Frenkie de Jong
Despite their failure to move him on in the summer, Barca remain keen to offload Frenkie de Jong. The Dutchman is likely to leave the Camp Nou soon as he is no longer a guaranteed starter for the Catalans. He has started just three La Liga games so far this term and has also been played out of position extensively.
According to Sport, Liverpool are the latest side to register an interest in the 25-year-old. Manchester United have been in the hunt for a while now. Liverpool are desperate to bolster their midfield department and are now reportedly viewing De Jong as a potential signing.