Pranav Kannan
Romano: Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong included in Barcelona pre-season tour
According to popular Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona have included Manchester United target, Frenkie de Jong, in their pre-season tour to the US.
There were question marks over the Dutchman’s inclusion for the pre-season tour with a long-drawn saga linking Manchester United to the player this summer. The Red Devils are said to be keen on signing the player.
Despite an agreement in place between both the teams, Frenkie apparently has no intention of leaving. The Dutch midfielder does not want to go to Old Trafford and wants to remain at Barcelona and play for the Spanish giants.
Romano claims that both the clubs have reached an agreement over the transfer fee involved in this deal and that it is all up to the player right now. Barcelona and Man United have supposedly agreed to a €75m fee plus €10m in add-ons fee for the Dutch superstar.
This contradicts Barcelona’s words with the Catalan club recently insisting that they are not looking to sell Frenkie de Jong this summer. Mirror claims that despite what they say in the public, Barcelona are secretly pushing to sell the 25-year-old this summer.
They realise that the Dutchman is one of the few players in their squad who can bring in a lot of money and considering the fact that the Spanish club are spoilt for riches in midfield, they now see de Jong as expendable.
One reason why the Dutchman’s entourage are not keen on making a move away from Barcelona could be the fact that the Spanish club owe him deferred wages. The Guardian claim that the Catalan club owes Frenkie around £17m in deferred wages due to the pandemic.
Frenkie will know what he could get from a move to Man United. He would be the main orchestrator in midfield, a role he performed exceptionally well under ten Hag during their time and it is something that would be beneficial for the player as well.
More Manchester United News
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It is still not clear how this Frenkie saga will turn out. The fact that he has been included in the pre-season tour shows that Barcelona may still be counting on him. It could be difficult for Man United to make this deal happen as things stand.
