Manchester City has been forced to explore elsewhere for an Ikay Gundogan successor after missing out on Declan Rice.
After leading the Cityzens to a triple, the seasoned midfielder left the team, leaving a huge vacuum in Guardiola’s lineup. Gabri Veiga of Celta Vigo has been mentioned in connection with a move to the Etihad Stadium, but Pep has his eye on a fresh player.
The highly regarded Barcelona ace Frenkie de Jong is the person in question, according to the Sun. According to reports, Guardiola has long admired the Dutch player and even made an attempt to sign him from Ajax before falling short to the Catalan powerhouses.
De Jong, 26, is a gifted player who not only has the ability to assist his team advance up the pitch and build out from the back with outstanding passing and ball-carrying skills, but who can also be productive in the final third by finding teammates or scoring goals.
And according to the aforementioned British publication, Guardiola and company are considering a move for De Jong, with Barcelona apparently willing to sell despite his standout season from the previous season. With the Dutchman being their highest-paid player and the Spanish champions still in dire financial straits, the Blaugrana might stand to gain by getting Frenkie off their wage sheet.
However, the Catalan side might want a price close to the $114M ($101M guaranteed + $13M in add-ons) that Man City gave for Declan Rice. If the Cityzens do make a formal bid for De Jong, there are still a lot of unsolved questions.
In the protracted transfer speculation from last season, the maestro is known for turning down a move to Manchester United. The player is still content in Catalonia and was eager to stay at Camp Nou. The Red Devils were also the subject of unprecedented uncertainty at the time. At Man City, things are different.
The reigning Premier League champions, who are perhaps the most dominant squad in recent memory, won the treble last season. The fact that Pep Guardiola is in charge and that anyone can be turned off by the idea of working for him is another factor.
Should the side owned by Abu Dhabi formally express an interest in the Netherlands phenomenon, this may develop into an intriguing drama. The search for Ilkay Gundogan’s heir is still ongoing as of this writing.