Barcelona’s plan in case Frenkie de Jong leaves the club

With the transfer window looming, Barcelona’s plans for the summer are starting to take shape as they look to bolster their ranks.

Given the financial situation, funds are expected to be tight, which means that the Blaugrana must devise their strategies carefully. Player sales are likely to be key in helping the club generate funds and one star who could move on is Frenkie de Jong.

The 25-year-old is attracting serious interest from Manchester United and Barça, despite his status as a permanent fixture in the starting XI, are open to a sale to bring in funds into the club.

Manager Xavi Hernandez appeared to be reluctant to let go of de Jong without signing a like-for-like replacement for the Netherlands international. It had seen Barcelona get linked with a move for Valencia midfielder Carlos Soler, while Bernardo Silva had also been mentioned as a target.

However, according to a fresh report from SPORT, there has been a change of plans. Instead of looking to bring in another interior midfielder in case de Jong departs, Barcelona want to sign a player for the pivot position to replace club captain Sergio Busquets in the long run.

The technical committee at the club believe that there is enough depth in the squad when it comes to the interior midfield positions to cope with the departure of de Jong.

As a result, instead of looking for a direct replacement, the Blaugrana plan to sign another player who can operate as a single pivot to relieve Busquets and eventually replace him in the long run.

Ruben Neves of Wolverhampton Wanderers has been identified as one of the targets, although his £70 million price tag could pose a problem.