Reasons why Barcelona are selling Frankie de Jong to Manchester United

The Dutch midfielder arrived with a lot of hope in 2019 but couldn't match his performance history in Ajax. Barcelona is desperate to rebuild the club amidst a dire financial crisis, which caused fan favourite Lionel Messi to depart the club. In addition, there are talks of another departure, most probably Frenkie de Jongs. He is reportedly in the process of leaving the Catalan giants with a very lucrative offer that might have come his way. Meanwhile, de Jong's transfer to Manchester United is in its finishing stages, and we'd like to list a few reasons they might confirm Dutchman's exit.

Financial problems

Josep Maria Bartomeu's turbulent presidential tenure has negatively impacted Barcelona. The excessive salary and money spent on unnecessary transfers in the past few years have rained down heavily on them this term. If the rumors are true, Man United will be offering 80 million euros for the Dutch midfielder, which will be a much-needed deal for Barcelona. The Blaugrana haven't wrapped their head around the problems surrounding their wage bill and are still struggling to make transfers. Their agreement with Manchester United could be born out of a need for financial income, as both de Jong and manager Xavi Hernandez seemed interested in building their dynamic together at Barcelona.

The weight of expectation

After Frankie de Jong arrived in Barcelona, he failed to live up to his expectations. Although he is not a pointless transfer, he couldn't utilize his full potential due to mismanagement, a lack of structure, and a defined role. So the midfielder's spell with the Catalans has not been satisfactory. Although his exploits have been witnessed on numerous occasions, the star has primarily failed to exhibit the quality he showed at Ajax. Barcelona needed him to improve his gameplay, but he could not do so. He might now be relying on his coach at Ajax, Erik Ten Hag, who has now become United's new manager. He will know how to train the 25-year-old if he switches to England. 

Presence of younger talent

Pedri Gonzalez, Nico, and Gavi's rising popularity have been beneficial for Barcelona and their supporters. Unfortunately, it raises doubts and questions and de Jong. Although he is still a part of the starting XI, the teenagers' quality and improvement mean he faces a more significant threat than he would like. Moreover, Xavi has substituted de Jong on several occasions. Although it seems unlikely, the ongoing factors might have taken shape in de Jong's mind if he is willing to shift to a different club.