As reported by the Mirror, the Red Devils have been hit hard by their pursuit of signing their most wanted player. The Manchester United board had been in Barcelona to finalize a deal to sign Frenkie De Jong.
United CEO Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough flew to the Catalan capital on Monday. However, they have left the capital without finalizing a contract, leaving them bitterly disappointed by the entire situation.
Shockingly, De Jong had returned to training at Barca’s facilities. Manchester United and Barcelona had previously reached an initial transfer fee agreement for £56.2 million, and sources out of Spain say that the two clubs also shook hands on a complete deal worth £72 million.
Arnold and Murtough were in charge of a United delegation that had dinner with their Barcelona counterparts, including club president Joan Laporta and the club’s transfer officials Mateu Alemany, Jordi Cruyff, and Rafa Yuste,
at the Via Veneto restaurant.
The United executives later travelled back to the city on Monday to carry on their discussions over dinner at the Triton restaurant close to Camp Nou.
Although the clubs have come to an understanding over the terms and framework of a deal, the transfer cannot yet be completed since De Jong has not yet given his approval for a move. On Wednesday, Arnold and Murtough departed the city empty-handed.
Even Erik ten Hag had called the player to persuade him to join his team at Old Trafford. The Dutch midfielder was given a guarantee that he would be a regular starter under the manager however, he is happy to stay with the Spanish giants.
This could be a major blow for Manchester United as they have been running behind the former Ajax midfielder’s signature for quite some time now. Maybe it’s time for the club to look for other alternatives in the market.
