Young star with £70m price tag

CITY continue to be linked with Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong, but he won’t come cheap.

De Jong is considered one of the brightest young talents in Europe, and he made his senior Netherlands debut earlier this month when he registered an assist in a 2-1 win over Peru.

The 21-year-old came through the ranks at Willem II, before moving to Ajax’s academy. He made his first-team debut for Ajax in September 2016 and has gone on to feature 50 times for club.

Described as a strong midfielder, who is comfortable on the ball, the Blues would reportedly have to invest £70m in De Jong, but Ajax are understandably keen to keep hold of their young star.

So who is Frenkie De Jong, and what do we know about him? 21 first-team squad for the 2016/17 season.

He has made 50 first-team appearances to date, with two goals to his name. He is adept playing in central midfield, defensive midfield, or defence. De Jong was given his first caps for the Netherlands earlier this month against Peru and France, and he has two goals in 22 appearances for Holland at different youth levels. According to former Barcelona midfielder Xavi, De Jong is a similar player to Spaniard Sergio Busquets.

“He’s young, but I think he can make a huge contribution [to Barcelona] now,” Xavi said recently, quoted by Goal.

“He is seen as a beastly talent. He’s really a player to keep an eye on. De Jong’s profile is exactly what Barcelona need. A player who is technically very strong, wants to work for the team, but above all has a lot of talent.”