Al-Ittihad interested in marginalised Barcelona midfielder, contacts made with agent

Frenkie de Jong has gone from being a regular starter to a peripheral figure at FC Barcelona this season.

Following a lengthy spell out on the sidelines, the Dutchman has found minutes hard to come by under Hansi Flick, with players like Pedri, Marc Casado, Gavi, Dani Olmo, and even Fermin Lopez ahead of him.

Marc Bernal, currently out with an injury, is also seen as someone who would be in front of de Jong in Flick’s pecking order.

This marginalised role in the team, coupled with his high salary and lack of progress in renewal talks has led to De Jong being linked with a departure from Barcelona.

Al-Ittihad interested

Now, according to journalist Miguel Rico, Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia have shown an interest in signing Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona.

Ramon Planes, Barcelona’s former technical secretary and now Al-Ittihad’s technical director, could be the link that can make the transfer happen.

Coincidentally, Planes has been staying at the JW Marriott in Jeddah, the same hotel hosting Barcelona for the Spanish Super Cup.

What’s more, in recent interviews with Catalan media, Planes openly admitted that some Barcelona players are on Al-Ittihad’s radar. While no names were mentioned, De Jong is confirmed to be one of their targets.

It is also confirmed that Planes has already been in contact with De Jong’s agents. Though discussions between him and Barcelona’s sporting director Deco have not included specifics, it is understood that Planes knows the demands the Dutchman’s camp would make.

While there is no indication that a move will occur in the January transfer window, there is confidence that a deal could be reached by summer.

For now, Al-Ittihad is adopting a wait-and-see approach, as fewer months remaining on De Jong’s contract would reduce his transfer fee.