Manchester United are continuing to pursue a deal for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, with the 25-year-old remaining Erik ten Hag’s number one priority this summer.
United have reached an agreement with the Catalan club over a fee for De Jong but there are significant hurdles to overcome before a deal can be completed. De Jong is owed £17m in deferred wages after agreeing to a pay cut in 2020 and that is holding up a deal.
In the most recent update, it was claimed that Barcelona have formally told De Jong to leave the club to join United as the Spanish giants continue to wrestle with their financial situation.
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Barcelona director Mateu Alemany has now admitted that although De Jong is an important player, a potential sale may be out of their hands as La Liga rules may force them into it.
“Frenkie is a very important player and we count on him. But we know La Liga’s Fair Play tells us to sell players,” Alemany said, according to journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
“I can’t say more [on Frenkie deal and Man Utd].”
SN’s verdict…
United’s pursuit of De Jong was always going to become a saga but with just three weeks remaining before the Premier League season gets underway, Ten Hag will be desperate to get this done sooner rather than later.
It does, however, seem like much of it depends on how the situation with De Jong’s deferred wages unfolds. United have done their bit by agreeing a fee with Barcelona.
Personal terms with De Jong will also need to be agreed but that is not expected to be a problem.
You pay his money and let the man leave
Pay him off then!
Pay the guy’s salary that you owed using the money that you got from United! How hard this can be??!
He obviously doesn’t want to join Utd, and that is the reason this saga is dragging on.
Utd should realise this and move on, Ward Prowse would be ideal.