REVEALED: Why Man City didn't battle Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong transfer

Manchester City refused to get into a fight for Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong and the player has joined Barcelona in a £65m deal. De Jong’s  £307,000 a week plus bonuses wage would have messed up City's wage structure. Pep Guardiola said a fortnight ago that transfer battles with Barcelona and Real Madrid are rarely winnable and indicated that City perhaps needs to be sharper in scouting such players before they catch the eye of powerful rival clubs. He added that he was not speaking about De Jong, but it's clear the former Ajax man was at the centre of his thinking.

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