According to El Nacional, Pep Guardiola has instructed Man City to see if the option for a swap deal with Barcelona is available for Laporte. City will like to have Frenkie de Jong in return for Aymeric Laporte. However, Barcelona might get caught in two minds about whether to ahead with this swap or not.
Barcelona may not be able to pay in cash for Aymeric Laporte because of its financial crisis. Consequently, City will like to proceed with a swap deal and will like to have Frenkie de Jong on their side. Moreover, Pep had already discussed the possibility of a swap deal while negotiating the deal of Ferran Torres.
However, Frenkie de Jong wants to fight for Barcelona and is an important figure in the midfield. On the other, the Catalans also need to improve their defense as they are currently leaking goals. Barcelona signed De Jong in 2019 for a hefty fee of €75 million. Although he has an important role in the midfield, the fans demand more from him for that price tag.
Whereas Manchester City wants a replacement as they can see a few midfielders leaving the club in near future. It is always better to get a replacement before a player leaves the club and not after. However, it will be tough for City to convince Barcelona for this swap deal as De Jong is very important to their side.
What Frenkie de Jong can offer Manchester City and what Aymeric Laporte can offer Barcelona?
Frenkie de Jong will add to the profound depth of Manchester City. Pep Guardiola will have more options to choose from and will get the player without spending any money. Moreover, Frenkie will offer different attributes and skills that some other City players do not possess. In addition, Frenkie will be a signing for years as he is just 24 years of age and still has a lot to offer.
Aymeric Laporte has displayed his quality for both Manchester City and Spain. He will fit into Barcelona quickly due to a similar playing style. However, he will provide more defensive assurance to the club since they have conceded many goals this season. Moreover, they currently lack the depth in defense that normally a big club like Barcelona should have.
However, both clubs will lose a highly-rated player for another highly-rated player. Now it is upon the clubs to decide which position is more important for them. In fairness, Barcelona needs a defensive addition but should somehow avoid the sale of Frenkie de Jong. They have very few world-class players and Frenkie de Jong is certainly one of them.
Man City will lose Aymeric Laporte who has actually been in good form this season. Moreover, City has fewer issues to worry about than Barcelona. It is understandable why City wants De Jong and why Barcelona wants Laporte.
However, Frenkie de Jong put in a great performance against Mallorca and that may have shown the fans how important De Jong is for Barcelona. This will make Barcelona think 10 times before agreeing to a deal.
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