Barcelona plotting to sign 2 Manchester City stars if Manchester United sign Frenkie de Jong – Reports

Barcelona are reportedly looking to sign two Manchester City stars if Manchester United secure a deal for Frenkie de Jong.

According to Cadena SER (via Daily Star), Barcelona will look to sign Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan if the Red Devils end up succeeding in their bid for Frenkie de Jong.

United have already had a £60m bid rejected by Barcelona, who are looking for something closer to £70m. According to the aforementioned report, the Spanish giants plan to use that money to get two world-class stars from United’s city rivals.

Bernardo Silva was one of City’s standout players last season and had 20 goal involvements in 50 games across all competitions. The Portuguese is under contract until 2025 and Manchester City are expected to make things difficult for Barcelona.

However, as far as German Ilkay Gundogan is concerned, he will be a free agent at the end of next season. The 31-year old Gundogan can therefore be available for a modest price. City have already begun looking for replacements and according to Sports Illustrated, Manchester City are pushing for a move for Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips.

Barcelona might end up losing their chance to sell Frenkie de Jong. The Red Devils are reportedly already looking at alternatives for the midfielder, according to the Manchester Evening News.

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Manchester United looking at alternatives to Barcelona’s Frenkie De Jong

Manchester United are close to signing Porto’s Vitinha, according to the Record. The club has reportedly decided to activate his €40 million release clause, which will be a bargain if he ends up succeeding at Old Trafford. The 22-year old has recently impressed while playing as a defensive midfielder in a single pivot.

He is a capable passer and has the pace and the physicality to make runs into the box as well. The midfielder might take time to develop and acclimatize to the Premier League but a switch to England is said to be imminent. While he is being claimed to be an alternative to Frenkie de Jong, Manchester United might need to sign both the players.

Four midfielders in the form of Jesse Lingard, Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata have announced their departures. At least one of James Garner, Hannibal Mejbri and Charlie Savage can be expected to start regularly next season, especially in domestic cup ties.

Still, in order to compete with England’s finest, Manchester United need to add quality depth. The summer window might still result in multiple crucial signings for the Red Devils.