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Topics: Manchester City, Manchester City Transfer News & Rumours, Transfers, Premier League, La Liga, Barcelona, Frenkie De Jong, Manchester United
Ryan Sidle
Topics: Manchester City, Manchester City Transfer News & Rumours, Transfers, Premier League, La Liga, Barcelona, Frenkie De Jong, Manchester United
Manchester City are considering a move for former Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong, after missing out on the signing of Declan Rice.
Despite the fact that they didn't actually want to sign Rice and were only trying to do Mikel Arteta a favour, City are still trying to find a midfielder.
Even though they've already signed Mateo Kovacic, Pep Guardiola is in need of someone who can replace Ilkay Gundogan after the midfielder left for Barcelona.
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With Rice off the menu and headed for Arsenal, Guardiola has to turn his attentions elsewhere to fill the void left by his now former captain.
Last summer, City's local rivals Manchester United were similarly in need of a midfielder and Erik ten Hag ended up signing Casemiro.
That came with his side bottom of the Premier League after just two games of the season but there was no doubt the Dutchman tried hard before then to bring someone in.
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His number one target was De Jong who he'd worked with at Ajax, but the midfielder had no interest in leaving the Nou Camp no matter how much his team appeared to want to sell him.
Now according to the Sun, Guardiola will attempt to go one better than his fellow bald fraud residing in Manchester and get De Jong to leave the comfort of Catalonia for the north west of England.
The 26-year-old still has no particular interest in leaving his current club but they once again wouldn't be opposed to getting his wages of their books.
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He is said to earn £400,000 at the club and Barca could attempt to fetch the similar £90 million that City were willing to pay for Rice.
The Premier League winners do have a happy knack of refusing to pay more for a player than their valuation of them, hence deciding not to go on with the Rice deal.
Xavi is also pretty stacked for midfielders with Gavi and Pedri leading the new generation and Franck Kessie and Nico also available, even before the addition of Gundogan.
De Jong may find it easier to be persuaded not only by a team in the Champions League, which United weren't last year, but also the champions of the competition.