Barcelona have ruled out the sales of Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong this summer with sporting director Deco having said the club do not want to sell ‘any top player’.
The Spanish side’s ongoing financial difficulties have led to suggestions of high-profile exits in the summer window, with several of Europe’s elite clubs monitoring the situation at the Camp Nou.
Frenkie de Jong has been mooted as a potential sale should Barcelona look to raise funds and the Dutchman has been a long-term target for Manchester United.
Erik ten Hag worked with the midfielder at Ajax and made an approach to sign De Jong in 2022. United are understood to remain interested in adding a midfielder to their squad this summer.
Araujo has also been linked with leaving Barcelona. Bayern Munich have expressed interest in signing the centre-back, while the Uruguay international is said to have multiple admirers in the Premier League.
Deco, however, has ruled out the sale of either player at the end of the season and said Barcelona do not plan to weaken their squad with sales.
“We’d like not to sell any top player in the summer,” the club’s former midfielder said, as per Fabrizio Romano.
“It’d be a mistake to sell Araujo and Frenkie de Jong. I’d like to improve the squad… not to sell players.”
Asked whether losing Araujo and De Jong in order to sign Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain would weaken Barcelona, Deco added: “Yes, I think so.”
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