Barcelona midfield star was a real target for Manchester City until his injury – report

Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong was once a prime target for Manchester City, but his injury has derailed any potential transfer plans. According to a recent report, the Spanish club were keen on signing the midfielder during the World Cup, with Enzo Maresca seeing him as a key target. However, De Jong's injury forced Manchester City to reconsider their approach and they instead secured Elliot Anderson for a record fee.

Ayyoub Bouaddi was subsequently signed by Manchester City as well. Barcelona's captain, De Jong, is reportedly not interested in leaving the club, stating that his sole desire is to stay in Catalonia. Given the complexity of his injury and the fact that he was pushing himself at the FIFA World Cup, it is highly unlikely that De Jong will leave Barcelona in the near future.

The Catalan club is strong in midfield, with players like Pedri, Rodri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, and Fermin Lopez, making De Jong's return to full fitness and reinstatement a challenging task.