Barça refuses 40 million offer, Ajax reunion falls apart over Frenkie de Jong

FC Barcelona has rejected a €40 million bid for Netherlands international Frenkie de Jong, meaning a possible return to Ajax for the midfielder will not happen, reports the Catalan newspaper El Nacional. Liverpool would like to bring the Dutchman to Anfield in the winter transfer window.

The rejection means that the €40 million bid turned down by Barcelona was the only obstacle to a possible return of the Netherlands international to Ajax. An agreement would have resulted in an Ajax reunion, according to the Catalan newspaper. It remains unclear whether Ajax itself will make a counter‑offer.

Liverpool wants De Jong in winter

Liverpool, which has Anfield as its home ground, under the leadership of Basque assistant coach Andoni Iraola, who succeeds Arne Slot, is interested in De Jong. The club aims to bring the Dutch midfielder in during the winter transfer window. He would provide an extra option alongside Alexis MacAllister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch.

“De Jong clearly has no future at Barça anymore,” wrote the Catalan newspaper. The reason is the arrival of Rodri, who moved from Manchester City to Barcelona last summer and has since been undisputed in midfield.

“Fortunately for De Jong it appears that it will not be difficult for him to sign with another top club. He has many interested clubs, including Liverpool. The Reds made an initial bid of €40 million, which was rejected,” according to El Nacional. De Jong’s position in the team remains uncertain.

Dutch men at Liverpool

A transfer to Liverpool would mean a reunion with several Dutch players. Virgil van Dijk is captain of The Reds, while Jeremie Frimpong, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch also play there. Gravenberch and De Jong shared the 2018/2019 season at Ajax, although they never appeared together in the same match for the club.

In 2019 FC Barcelona paid €86 million for De Jong, making him still the most expensive Dutch footballer ever. The current €40 million bid is seen by the club as a reduced fee, but according to reports it is still too low to make the transfer succeed.