Manchester City are now eyeing a stunning move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, according to a recent report from The Sun.
Which midfielder are Man City signing?
With club captain Ilkay Gundogan putting pen to paper on a move to Barcelona, there is a huge gap in Man City's midfield that needs to be filled, and Declan Rice emerged as a major target, with a £90m bid being tabled earlier this week.
However, the Citizens have now pulled out of the race as they were unwilling to match Arsenal's offer of £105m, and they have now started to run the rule over other targets, including Celta Vigo's Gabri Veiga, as reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Veiga is not the only La Liga central midfielder that City have shown an interest in, as The Sun reports they are now mulling over a stunning £90m move for De Jong, who has been linked with a move away from Barcelona for quite some time.
Rivals Manchester United considered the Dutchman a major target a year ago, but he opted to remain at Camp Nou, and the report details that he is still in no major rush to leave Spain.
However, Barca want the central midfielder off the wage books, and they know that City have the money to sign a top-class midfielder, following their pursuit of Rice.
Guardiola tried to sign the 26-year-old in 2019, and the Man City manager remains a fan.
How much does Frenkie de Jong earn?
According to Capology, the former Ajax man rakes in a massive £620k-per-week at Barcelona, so it is no wonder the La Liga club are keen to get him off the wage bill, particularly considering the recent arrival of Gundogan.
Despite Barca's willingness to sanction the departure of the Netherlands international, he is thought of in high regard by manager Xavi, who described him as "spectacular" last season.
The Arkel-born midfielder certainly played his part in Barca's title-winning 2022/23 campaign, making 33 appearances in La Liga, during which time he picked up two goals and four assists.
Over the past year, the maestro has averaged an 89.5% pass-completion rate per 90, which ranks him in the 97th percentile compared to his positional peers, indicating he would be a perfect fit for a Guardiola system.
However, De Jong's attacking output probably does not justify a £90m outlay, particularly if he is seen as a Gundogan replacement, so Man City should initially test the waters with a much lower offer.