Eric Abidal Says Barcelona Waiting on Frenkie De Jong Transfer Decision

Barcelona will wait for Frenkie de Jong to choose his next club, according to Eric Abidal, after the sporting director revealed the Blaugrana are interested in the Ajax star.

Abidal talked about the choice facing the much-sought after 21-year-old, per Sky Sports: "This question has to be asked to the player. He knows there is interest from many clubs and he will make his decision. We can only wait, like everyone else."

De Jong has been linked with a long queue of suitors recently. Among them, Premier League champions Manchester City and Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain are said to be vying for his signature, according to Metro's Sean Kearns.

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However, Barca can't be ruled out of the race. In fact, Sport's Toni Juanmarti reported club president Josep Maria Bartomeu spoke with De Jong in Amsterdam, while the Blaugrana have also continued to talk with the player's agent, Ali Durson.

Juanmarti described those conversations as "frequent."

It makes sense for Abidal to hold out hope of eventually beating the competition to such a precocious talent. Netherlands international De Jong possesses a flexible set of skills every top club in Europe should covet.

He is intuitive and tricky with the ball at his feet, mixing technique and flair with the vision and temperament to make the right decisions:

Those qualities have also been earning De Jong plenty of plaudits in the Eredivisie:

Barca's squad would be instantly improved by a player able to thrive at every level of the midfield. De Jong could operate as cover for 30-year-old holding player Sergio Busquets, while also being forward-thinking enough to offset the struggles of Philippe Coutinho and Arturo Vidal.

Investing in De Jong would give Barcelona a young star to build around in a midfield desperately in need of a refresh, yet it will take acting fast to see off competition from clubs with the lavish resources City and PSG boast.