Frenkie de Jong viewed as one of three 'unsellable' stars by Barcelona
Frenkie de Jong ‘is named as one of Barcelona’s three UNTOUCHABLE players this summer’ in a blow to Manchester United – despite the cash-strapped LaLiga giants needing to raise £178m just to enter the transfer market
- Barcelona were informed last month they must raise funds to enter the market
- The La Liga leaders have reportedly assessed which players could be sold
- Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Ronald Araujo have been viewed as untouchable
Frenkie de Jong has reportedly been identified as one of three unsellable players by Barcelona as the La Liga leaders seek to raise funds to enter the transfer market this summer.
Barcelona were informed last month that they would have to raise £178million from selling current players if they are to have any chance of enter the market.
Club president Joan Laporta had previously claimed the club was in a strong position and vowed no player sales would be necessary, but vowed to cut £150m from the wage bill.
According to the Barcelona based newspaper Sport, the club will prioritise the sale of fringe squad members but could approve sales of more established names should it be required.
De Jong was reportedly one of only three players who ‘will not be sold under any circumstances’ by the club.
Frenkie de Jong is reportedly one of three Barcelona stars considered to be unsellable
Defender Ronald Araujo and midfield star Pedri are considered untouchable by Barcelona
Defender Ronald Araujo and midfield star Pedri are also considered untouchable by Barcelona, it is claimed.
De Jong’s status is a blow to Manchester United, with Erik ten Hag having been a long-standing admirer of the Dutch midfielder since he coached him at Ajax.
Ten Hag had been keen to sign the central midfielder last summer, but the midfielder opted to stay at the Nou Camp.
The midfielder has been central to Barcelona’s title challenge in La Liga, with the Catalans holding a 12-point lead over rivals Real Madrid heading into the closing weeks of the season.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Alejandro Balde, Gavi, Jules Kounde, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski are reportedly considered among the names Barcelona would be reluctant to sell.
Gavi’s contract situation has recently highlighted Barcelona’s ongoing financial difficulties.
The midfielder signed his first professional contract back in September, which came with a significant increase in wages, but the club have not been able to register him as a first-team squad member.
Robert Lewandowski would be among the players Barcelona would be unwilling to sell
Gavi’s contractual situation has highlighted Barcelona’s ongoing financial difficulties
They are still struggling to manage their finances after exceeding their agreed budget for the season when Gavi penned his first senior deal, meaning they have now been blocked from registering him in their squad.
Barcelona now risk losing their combative young midfielder for free in the summer if they are not able to get to the bottom of the issue before then.
The Catalans had previously spent big in the summer of 2022 on the likes of Lewandowski, Raphinha and Kounde, despite seemingly being hamstrung by monetary issues.
However, they triggered several economic levers, including their TV rights, in order to be able to afford the costly outlay, but still are thought to be in debt to the tune of around £1billion.
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