Frenkie de Jong: Louis van Gaal explains why Barcelona midfielder is 'worth €112m'

Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal has told interested sides that they should not hesitate to pay in excess of €100m if they want to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona this summer.

Barcelona's financial struggles have seen them tipped to offload De Jong after a few underwhelming years at Camp Nou, with the Dutchman recently admitting the Blaugrana's tactics don't always get the best out of him.

Manchester United have been tipped to move for De Jong this summer as his former Ajax boss, Erik ten Hag, prepares to take the reins at Old Trafford, although there are concerns over his price tag.

A recent study from CIES Football Observatory valued De Jong at €112.5m (£96m), and Van Gaal insisted that sum would be a fair price.

"I already knew how important Frenkie is," he told NOS. "I don't need to see that anymore.

"Frenkie brings extra quality, that's why he is worth €112m."

De Jong has admitted he is aware of interest from United but has long vowed to stay and fight for his place at Camp Nou, while those in charge at Barcelona have also publicly insisted that he is not for sale.

However, despite that stance, there have been numerous reports suggesting that Barcelona may need to sell De Jong in order to balance the books.


Source : 90min