The Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United transfer saga has reached boiling point as FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta made some powerful statements regarding the club’s stance on the player’s future. g the Dutchman to Old Trafford has been a priority for Erik ten Hag since taking over the reins at Old Trafford.
It’s been almost two months of back and forth and widespread media coverage across the world. United began talks with the Blaugrana over a potential transfer with De Jong rejecting a move to the Theatre of Dreams due to lack of Champions League.
Finally, after rigorous negotiations, it was reported last month that the two teams were close to reaching an agreement for the 25-year-old, having agreed on an initial fee of £56m (€65m). Talks were still ongoing regarding the add-ons which could take the total amount to £70m (€85m). However, it now appears like the Spanish side are seemingly making a u-turn on their stance regarding the midfielder.
According to the Italian transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils had a deal worth €65 million in place with the Catalan club with an additional €20 million in bonuses, whose structure was yet to be decided. Personal with the player were still not discussed by United.
Frenkie de Jong situation 🇳🇱 #FCB
▫️ Man Utd & Barça agreed €65m fixed fee but still discussing on €20m add-ons structure;
▫️ Personal never discussed yet;
▫️ Frenkie’s priority has always been to stay at Barça;
▫️ Salary reduction ‘very unlikely’ option on Frenkie side. pic.twitter.com/bXcGIB3II3— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 3, 2022
However, as reported by Manchester Evening News, Barcelona president Joan Laporta recently claimed that the club have no intention of selling Frenkie de Jong. At a tribute event to club legend Johan Cryuff, he took the opportunity to speak about the midfielder’s situation:
“There are clubs that want him, not just Manchester United. We have no intention of selling him, he wants to stay,”
“Frenkie is considered as one of the best midfielders in the world by all the experts. We are happy to have him.
This was a seemingly contradictory statement when looked at in conjunction with the strong reports of transfer talks between the two clubs. The Red Devils had tailed the Dutch midfielder for almost two months now and would undoubtedly be taken aback by the Barcelona president’s words.
The Barca Prez did not hold back when talking about the club’s insistence on keeping the midfielder at Camp Nou:
“I’m going to do everything I can in my power so that Frenkie stays here, but there’s also a salary issue and that would have to be adjusted.”
United would have hoped to have signed De Jong before their pre-season tour in Thailand and Australia began. However, a combination of disagreements in the valuation of the player, the player’s wish to stay at his current club, and the President of the selling club now expressing his desire to keep the player in their cohorts have hindered any progress that has been made so far.
The Barca man is currently a long way off from ing the rest of the team at Old Trafford. Even De Jong’s personal have not been discussed by United as of yet, according to Fabrizio. Renouncing the deal now could be considered a huge blow to United. The Red Devils made their intention to sign the player clear to the parties involved as well as the media and spent a lot of time focusing on just De Jong instead of other solid options.
Structure of the add-ons still to be discussed as personal too, salary reduction very unlikely – so, nothing has changed yet for Frenkie de Jong deal on Monday. 🇳🇱 #MUFC
Man Utd and Barça still in , no negotiations yet on player side ⤵️ https://t.co/3E35Zkjs0N
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 4, 2022
Read More:
- Dutch Club Begin Talks with Manchester United Over a Potential Move for Highly Rated Forward
- Manchester United Agree Deal in Principle to Sign Midfielder, Medical Scheduled
- Manchester United Fans Relieved as Club Complete g of Eredivisie Star
Players tend to function well if given time to get accustomed to the new coach’s tactics, which is why United wanted to sign the Dutch midfielder before the season began. The 25-year-old was already going to be a late g but now, United may have to look for a new alternative which will take the club even more time.
If Joan Laporta is true to his words and the De Jong deal ends up never materialising, then the onus is on United to move on quickly and push for another midfield g that is just as good and will do the same job as the Dutchman – a task that might be viewed as near impossible.
Follow AD for the Latest Transfer Updates for Manchester United.
