Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong is reportedly taking his time to negotiate a transfer to England.
The midfielder, who is United’s top target this summer, is currently engaged in a standoff with his current team. Due to Barcelona’s financial difficulties, The Mirror reported that Frenkie de Jong is refusing to accept deferred pay from the La Liga team.
The Spanish club are yet to pay the Dutch player his full £17m in wages and is pleading with United to pay that sum. However, De Jong is holding on to the club as he wants Barcelona to pay him his desired sum rather than delay it even further.
The 25-year-old has maintained contact with United manager Erik ten Hag regarding the move. The Dutch midfielder publicly stated his desire to stay at the Camp Nou, but he is reportedly open to joining his former manager at Old Trafford.
Erik Ten Hag understands the 25-year-old’s gameplay because he trained him at Ajax before he switched to the Catalan giants in 2019. Even if the manager has to wait until the last day of the season to find his guy, it appears as if his persistence will likely pay off.
Once all personal terms are agreed upon, United and Ten Hag are certain they will be able to secure the midfielder in a deal worth up to €85 million.
Furthermore, the ongoing transfer uncertainty is claimed to have infuriated many United fans as De Jong and his Barca teammates prepare to go to the United States to play David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
However, the strategy appears to be one of a shared understanding because United’s Chief Executive Richard Arnold and Director of Football John Murtough both travelled to Spain to meet with Barcelona officials. United may find themselves in a stronger position to bargain with Barca given that money is the obvious concern.
Manchester United will be in a strong position to sign Ten Hag’s favourite player if they agree to pay the outstanding salary and reduce the transfer fee correspondingly.
