Krishnan Sreekumar
Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong ready to give up unpaid wages to seal Manchester City move amidst Manchester United interest
According to The Sun, Manchester United are set to suffer a transfer blow in the upcoming summer transfer window for Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong, as the midfielder is willing to give up his unpaid wages in order to seal a move to Manchester City.
The Dutchman has been a regular feature for Barca since his move from Ajax Amsterdam in 2019, becoming a familiar face in midfield. Alongside Sergio Busquets, the player has been pulling the strings in the middle of the park for his team.
The impending arrival of Erik ten Hag as the new United permanent manager has seen the English club register an interest in the Holland international. However, they could be set to rival City for securing de Jong’s signature in the summer.
A move to the Red Devils could see de Jong reunite with ten Hag, with the duo spending time together at Ajax. Together, the pair managed to complete a domestic double in the Netherlands and also reach the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019.
Barca could demand City stars
However, they could be set for a transfer blow in their pursuit of the player due to City’s interest in the midfielder. Pep Guardiola is said to be a big fan of de Jong, and nearly signed the 25-year-old three years ago when he was on the verge of departing Ajax.
Barca’s current financial crisis has seen their players be forced to defer 40% of their wages for a year, with de Jong still owed nearly £6m from the club. However, he is willing to let go of this amount in order to seal a move to the blue half of Manchester.
United are in need of midfielders ahead of the new season, with their squad stretched thin due to the impending departures in the summer. Paul Pogba sees his current deal with the Manchester side expire at the end of the campaign, while Nemanja Matic has already announced his exit from the club.
This leaves Fred and Scott McTominay as the side’s only remaining central midfielder, alongside Donny van de Beek. The Dutchman is expected to return to Old Trafford in the summer when his loan spell at Everton expires.
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However, their pursuit of de Jong could be scuppered by Guardiola, who is seeking an ideal replacement for Fernandinho. The manager will need to part with one of his stars, as Barca may ask for either Bernardo Silva or Raheem Sterling to be included in the deal for their midfielder.
ten Hag could possibly be the trump card that United can use to convince de Jong to snub a move to City, offering the chance to play under a head coach with whom he had major success. Only time will tell if it proves to work, or we end up seeing the talented midfielder turning out for our rivals.
