Ajax’s Frenkie de Jong insists there is no agreement with Paris Saint-Germain or any other club and said that he will not be leaving in January, but his father thinks a summer move is “95 percent certain” and hinted that Barcelona is the preferred destination for the midfielder.
John de Jong told Voetbal Primeur that his son has a “luxury problem,” and there is a good chance that he will leave Ajax.
“He must decide himself and he is smart enough to make that decision,” he said. “Frenkie will probably ask himself this question in spring. However, he is not short of options. He will leave Ajax — that is 95 percent certain.
“A team that actually plays football would suit him best. All of the clubs interested in him are ones with teams that play. In terms of climate, Barcelona would be best. However, the financial aspect remains to be seen.”
De Jong, 21, has been heavily linked with a move to PSG in recent days, with PSG director Antero Henrique visiting Amsterdam to meet with De Jong’s agent last week.
However, Ajax sporting director Marc Overmars told De Telegraaf that no deal is in place and, with a pricetag of €75 million, De Jong reiterated that nothing had been agreed yet.
“The only thing that I will say is that there is no agreement yet,” he said. “No official decision has been taken. All of my attention is on Ajax. I will finish the season here with Ajax and I certainly will not be leaving during the winter break.”
Ajax coach Erik Ten Hag said that de Jong is spoiled for choice because of the number of clubs interested in him.
“I spoke with Frenkie earlier and he was already speaking French.” he said jokingly. “PSG is a very nice club. However, there are many beautiful clubs. Everybody knows that Europe’s five or six best clubs are watching Frenkie.
“Each player must make his own personal choice — the football that suits them best and that sort of thing. The Premier League is tough, but Ligue 1 is too — especially in a physical sense.
“There are only big clubs interested in Frenkie and each has its advantages and disadvantages. A player has to think about that with their agent. However, this is not the time to talk about it.”
Although PSG were in Amsterdam to meet with De Jong’s agent, there is no guarantee that they will be able to meet Ajax’s €75m asking price because of their financial fair play (FFP) constraints, so other clubs could capitalise on this.
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