Barcelona sporting director Deco has dismissed speculation suggesting that the club is considering selling Frenkie de Jong and Ronald Araujo to fund a move for Kylian Mbappé this summer.
Araujo and de Jong play vital roles in Barcelona’s current lineup, with Araujo making 25 appearances and de Jong featuring in 22 matches across various competitions this season.
While the prospect of signing Kylian Mbappé is undoubtedly appealing, given his impressive goal-scoring record of 30 goals in 29 matches this season, Deco emphasized that Barcelona’s priority is not to weaken the squad. He stated (via @BarcaTimes):
“Regarding the idea of selling Frenkie and Araujo to bring in Mbappé, I can’t speak to Mbappé’s future destination, but I can say that Barcelona has no intention of parting ways with either Frenkie or Araujo. We aim to enhance the team, not diminish it.”
Mbappé has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona’s arch-rivals, Real Madrid, once his contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) expires in the summer.
Despite his remarkable achievements at PSG, including 242 goals and 105 assists in 289 appearances and five Ligue 1 titles, Mbappé has yet to win the UEFA Champions League. Considering Real Madrid’s current La Liga lead and their competitive standing, it appears likely that Mbappé may choose them over Barcelona.
