Reports: Manchester City willing to break club transfer record for Barcelona target

What's the rumour?

Defending Premier League champions, Manchester City, have begun the season right from where they left off last season.

Having hit the ground running, City find themselves at the top of the Premier League table yet again, with 20 points from 8 matches. Their superior goal difference of 18 separating them from second-placed Chelsea (20 points, goal difference of 13) and third-placed Liverpool (20 points, goal difference of 12).

Now, according to latest reports from Mundo Deportivo (via The Sun), Manchester City's manager, Pep Guardiola is reportedly willing to break the club's transfer record and sign Ajax star, Frenkie de Jong, for a fee worth £62 million.

In case you didn't know...

Manchester City's current club transfer record is £60 million, which they paid for Riyad Mahrez when they signed him from Leicester City earlier this year.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old de Jong is rising to prominence at an alarming rate. Highly spoken of locally, the Dutchman's performances have caught the football world by storm, attracting attention from the likes of Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain.

The heart of the matter

With competition for the Premier League title heating up, Guardiola, will certainly look to bolster his side with a couple of purchases in the January transfer window. While de Jong could be an excellent addition, City will have to stave off competition from the aforementioned giants.

The report claims that Ajax have already rejected initial offers from Barcelona and Spurs. Until recently, Barcelona were believed to be leading the race for the breakout star after the player publicly revealed that it is his dream to play alongside Lionel Messi.

However, the report now states that City are, indeed, currently the frontrunners.

Frenkie de Jong has sensationally broken onto the scene and made his international debut for the Netherlands earlier this year. He already has 3 caps to his name.

Video: Frenki de Jong is undeniably talented

Rumour Probability/Rating: 6/10

Touted to be a future great, de Jong has already shown plenty of promise as he continues to impress with his performances. Considering that he is only 21, signing him would be a long-term investment.

Manchester City can certainly afford to make the £62 million investment if they deem the player worthy. However, a bidding war with the likes of Barcelona could raise the price even further and that's where the doubts start to seep in.

What's next?

Imagine a four-way bidding war between Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. That's exactly what the situation could potentially escalate to.