Arsenal set to rival Manchester United in race to sign Barcelona star - Reports 

Arsenal have joined the race against Manchester United for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, according to The Mirror (via Barca Universal).

Frenkie de Jong is currently one of the most sought-after midfielders in the current market. The Dutch midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer. The Red Devils are now managed by Erik ten Hag, under whom De Jong played whilst representing Ajax.

According to the aforementioned source, however, United might have competition in the form of Arsenal to secure the signature of Frenkie de Jong.

It is worth mentioning that De Jong had previously expressed his desire to join the Gunners from Ajax and follow in the footsteps of his idol Marc Overmars. The 25-year-old midfielder was quoted as saying the following back in 2019 (via The Mirror):

"I actually thought Arsenal was pretty beautiful in the past. In my mind, I have had the following list for a long time: Ajax-Arsenal-Barcelona, call it the Marc Overmars route. But yes, if you can go directly to Barcelona, then you are also right where you want to be. Faster than you ever dared to dream."

Barcelona, meanwhile, are open to selling De Jong if they can get a significant price for the midfielder. The Catalan giants are aware of the Dutchman's demand in the market and could offload him for a fee of around €85 million to balance their finances.

According to Fabrizio Romano, however, Manchester United are now in direct contact with Blaugrana to strike out a deal for Frenkie de Jong. Barcelona are currently waiting for an opening bid from the Red Devils.

Both Arsenal and Manchester United are in dire need of a new midfielder. United are going to lose Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic on free transfers in the summer. The Gunners, on the other hand, need a more creative option in the middle since Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny are primarily defensive minded.

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Arsenal and Manchester United will have it tough to lure Frenkie de Jong away from Barcelona

Both Arsenal and Manchester United will find it difficult to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona in the summer transfer window. According to Barca Universal, De Jong has made it clear that he wishes to stay at the Nou Camp for the foreseeable future.

The former Ajax midfielder is also keen on competing in the UEFA Champions League next season. Both Manchester United and the Gunners, meanwhile, failed to qualify for the Champions League and will instead compete in the UEFA Europa League during the 2022-23 season.

Frenkie de Jong made 46 appearances for the Catalan giants during the 2021-22 season and contributed four goals and five assists along the way.