Barcelona must sell Frenkie de Jong if they want to sign PL superstar in the summer - Reports

Barcelona would require to offload star midfielder Frenkie de Jong if they want to sign Bernardo Silva from Manchester City, according to Cadena SER (via Managing Barca on X).

The Catalan giants have had an underwhelming season and have struggled to defend their La Liga title this time around. They are currently second in the standings, 11 points behind leaders Real Madrid with six games remaining.

Barcelona will need to strengthen their squad ahead of the new season to once again mount a challenge in La Liga and in the UEFA Champions League. One player they have been targeting for a couple of seasons in Manchester City superstar Bernardo Silva.

Things, however, would not be straightforward for the Catalan giants to secure the services of the Portugal international.

According to the aforementioned source, the Blaugrana will have to sell Frenkie de Jong to allow them to sign Bernardo Silva this summer. This would free up a space in the squad and also generate necessary funds to sign the five-time Premier League champion.

However, it will be difficult for Barcelona to offload Frenkie de Jong. According to Football Espana, the Netherlands international prefers to stay at the club and his hefty salary demands would also see other clubs turn down a chance to sign him. Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are reportedly two sides interested in signing him this season.

Frenkie de Jong joined Barcelona in the summer of 2019 from Ajax for a fee of around €86 million. The 26-year-old midfielder still has two more years remaining on his current contract which lasts until the summer of 2026.

Bernardo Silva, meanwhile, is reportedly contemplating to leave Manchester City, according to the Mirror. The 29-year-old attacking midfielder is extremely keen on joining Barcelona.

The reason why the Xavi Hernandez's side will need to offload De Jong is due to Silva's potential transfer fee. According to Transfermarkt, the Portugal international is valued at €80 million. Similar to De Jong, Bernardo Silva also has a contract until 2026 at Manchester City.

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How has Frenkie de Jong performed for Barcelona this season?

Frenkie de Jong has had a injury-ridden season for Blaugrana this time around. The former Ajax sensation has made 30 appearances for his side this season and has contributed two goals in all competitions.

De Jong has picked up a few ankle injuries this season. He recently picked up an injury during the recently contested El Clasico against Real Madrid on April 21 where he was substituted before the second-half.

According to Transfermarkt, Frenkie de Jong has already missed 21 games for the Catalan giants this season.

However, when fit, De Jong is usually the first names on the Barcelona teamsheet. The midfielder has started in all 20 appearances in La Liga this season.