FC Barcelona has already found a replacement for Frenkie de Jong who won’t cost them a penny if he is sold this summer according to El Nacional, which cited anonymous sources.
De Jong is currently sidelined with his second injury of the season after twisting his ankle during the first half of an eventual 0-0 draw with Athletic Club in San Mames last weekend.
According to AS, the Dutchman will be out for four to five weeks with an away trip to Cadiz on April 14 earmarked as a potential return date just a week out from El Clasico.
Yet with the club’s financial situation what it is, that showdown at the Bernabeu could be his last in Barca colors against Real Madrid if the right offer comes in for him.
Barca is widely believed to need two big player sales to balance the books ahead of next term, and there has always been interest in De Jong from other clubs since 2022.
In July of that year, Barca accepted a $92 million offer from Manchester United for him according to The Athletic only for the player to turn down the move plus a chance to reunite with former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.
The two Manchester clubs, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich remain keen on possibly signing De Jong according to El Nacional, which reports that Barca “does not rule out transferring any player in the squad” that is not part of a La Masia graduate trio consisting of Lamine Yamal, Gavi and Pau Cubarsi.
And if De Jong were to be sold, Barca won’t bring in any replacement as a stand-in is right under their noses for free.
Just like the three mentioned young players, Marc Casado also came through Barca’s world-famous academy and currently captains the reserve team.
Though he has been called up to senior squad lists more than 30 times under outgoing head coach Xavi Hernandez, Casado is still yet to earn minutes in the elite.
With De Jong out for the time that he is though, in addition to Gavi and Pedri, that is expected to change.
As a consequence, the club would get a good look at how Casado operates at the top level, and learn how he might fare as De Jong’s successor if the number 21 and his club since 2019 indeed part ways.
