Manchester City have the chance to end the season with some silverware as they get ready to face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final this month.
It won’t make up for the fact Pep Guardiola’s men have endured an utterly dismal campaign, but it should give the club a boost heading into the summer.
The Spaniard will be keen on further bolstering his squad when the transfer window opens, building on the successful winter window.
Several players have already been linked with a move to the Etihad, especially as the club needs a replacement for the departing Kevin De Bruyne.
Recently, it appears as though Guardiola is looking to raid one of his former clubs for a midfielder…
Man City's search for a new midfielder
According to reports coming out of Spain, City have made Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong one of their ‘biggest summer targets’, ahead of next season.
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Liverpool and Arsenal are also showing plenty of interest in the Dutchman. Given Barcelona’s financial situation, they may be forced to listen to offers for the player when the transfer window opens.
With just a year left on his contract, Guardiola will be confident of striking a deal to secure his signature.
Could De Jong become Rodri 2.0 should he make the move to Manchester?
Why Pep could sign the next Rodri for Man City
It is safe to say that City’s campaign was derailed the moment Rodri suffered an ACL injury in September.
He was the fulcrum to the side that won the treble during the 2022/23 season, while playing an important role for Spain as they won Euro 2024 last summer, before subsequently claiming a richly-deserved Ballon d’Or.
With 260 appearances to his name, alongside a plethora of honours, since arriving from Atletico Madrid on a £62.8m deal in 2019, the 28-year-old has made the switch from LaLiga with breathtaking ease.
Lauded by former Barcelona manager Xavi as being “one of the best midfielders in the world” last season, De Jong could follow suit should he make his own switch from Spanish football. The likeness between the pair can also be seen with regard to their statistical similarity across a range of metrics in 2023/24, according to FBref.
Both registered over 90% in pass completion percentage (92.1% vs 92%), while they also won a high percentage of aerial duels (57.5% vs 71.1%) and impressed in the final third too. De Jong averaged 3.3 shot-creating actions per 90, while Rodri averaged 4.82 of the same metric for City.
Accurate passes
45.6
37.9
Key passes
0.4
0.9
Tackles
1.4
0.7
Ball recoveries
2.9
2
Possession lost
4.5
2.9
It is clear that De Jong could turn into another Rodri-like signing for City, especially with his performances this season for the La Liga side.
Barcelona are on the brink of reaching the Champions League final for the first time since 2015. In the competition, De Jong ranks in the top 3% for pass completion percentage (93.7%), along with ranking in the top 6% for carries into the final third (3.16) and in the top 5% for tackles in the middle third (1.71) per 90.
These statistics have helped La Blaugrana reach the semi-final stage. A 3-3 draw against Inter Milan in the first leg of the tie was a thriller, but De Jong will be aiming to help his side reach the final.
If City have a genuine chance of signing the Dutchman, they must make their move early.
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