Manchester United inform Barcelona that they are not prepared to meet the asking price set for midfielder Frenkie de Jong
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United have informed Barcelona that they are not willing to meet the asking price that the La Liga club have set in order to sign midfielder Frenkie de Jong ahead of the summer transfer window.
de Jong made the switch from Ajax Amsterdam to Barca in the summer of 2019, having won the domestic double in Holland the previous campaign. He was also a crucial member of the young Ajax team that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League that term.
Since then, the 25-year-old has become a full Netherlands international. With the World Cup coming around later this year, he will be hoping to get on the plane to Qatar and help the national side go all the way in the tournament.
He has also become a familiar face in the Barcelona midfield, pulling the strings from the middle of the park alongside Sergio Busquets. Despite a change in managers earlier this season, the player has managed to keep his place in the Catalan side.
Recoup transfer fee for de Jong
The Dutchman’s performances for the La Liga side has made him one of United’s top summer transfer targets. Incoming new manager Erik ten Hag, who worked with the midfielder at Ajax, is said to be keen to reunite with him as he looks to make his mark at Old Trafford.
However, the Red Devils are unwilling to meet the asking price that Barcelona have set for de Jong. The Catalans are looking to recoup the £65m they shelled out for the player, and a compromise between the two clubs has not been reached.
ten Hag is quite familiar with the player’s strengths and weaknesses, having promoted and developed de Jong from Ajax’s academy into the first team. He was part of a young and dynamic squad that the manager put together, boasting stars like Donny van de Beek, Hakim Ziyech, and Matthijs de Ligt.
van de Beek is set for a reunion with ten Hag in the summer at Old Trafford, when the midfielder returns to his parent club after the end of his loan spell at Everton. He will be keen to get his United career on track after struggling to impress, and he perhaps could have de Jong for company ahead of the new campaign.
More Manchester United News
- Manchester United target and PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo speaks out about his future ahead of the summer
- Manchester United in talks with Ajax Amsterdam over transfer of defender Jurrien Timber in summer
- Manchester United to battle Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain to sign £68m-rated Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
However, the Red Devils have put their foot down and told Barca as well as de Jong’s camp that they are not willing to splash that big an amount for the Dutchman. Having missed out on Champions League qualification this term, the English giants only have a limited budget to work with.
ten Hag is expected to lead a massive squad rebuild despite having restraints on his transfer kitty in the summer transfer window. He is keen to sign de Jong in order to bolster his midfield, but unless Barcelona drop their valuation of the player, this looks like a tough transfer to pull off.
