Midway through February, Sport revealed that Liverpool were willing to spend big to bring Barcelona maestro Frenkie de Jong to Anfield.
The Dutchman – who has a release clause worth €400m (£335m) – is one of Xavi’s most valuable assets, and with finances tight at the Camp Nou, his sale would be a good way to raise money.
However, in what is bad news for Liverpool, De Jong now seems ready to commit his long-term future to the Spanish giants.
What’s the story?
Well, the 24-year-old sounds like he’s now loving life at the Camp Nou.
Speaking to ZiggoSport, De Jong said: “I love being at Barcelona! I’d probably sign a six-year contract extension if they’d propose me, yes. Something happening with FC Bayern? No, no. I am so happy at Barcelona and I would love to play here for as long as possible”.
Even Jürgen Klopp, with all his charm, may struggle to change De Jong’s mind, as he seems pretty assured in his words.
In our view, the Reds should now look elsewhere.
It will take a huge amount to sign De Jong, and if Mohamed Salah does end up leaving Anfield, Liverpool will need to spend most of their budget on a replacement.
Liverpool don’t need Frenkie de Jong
Of course, it would’ve been nice for Liverpool to have the former Ajax gem on Merseyside, as he’s a fantastic player.
However, the Reds are not desperate for reinforcements in central midfield, so his signature isn’t worth pursuing.
Klopp already has Thiago, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to choose from.
Only if two or three leave should Liverpool hunt for another midfielder.
Even then, someone like Jude Bellingham would be a much better fit, as he seems more suited to English football.
For the Liverpool fans hoping to see De Jong at Anfield, you may now have to give up that dream following his strong comments.
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