Manchester United and Barcelona have mutually agreed on a fee to sign Frenkie de Jong despite the player’s obstinacy in not complying for multiple reasons.
As per The Telegraph, hoping to take the initiative a big step further, the Red Devils were assured by Barcelona that the midfielder will join once the pending amount totaling £17million owed by the Blaugranas in deferred wages is paid to him.
To this end the story three days ago, according to renowned Spanish sources, suggested that the United do not want to pay De Jong, whose gross salary amounts to £490,000 a week, the deferred wages to get his signing done.
However, yesterday, Sport revealed that Man Utd have apparently undergone a change of heart and are prepared to pay almost the same amount of his salary that was deferred to finally secure his signature.
It seems the Red Devils’ big guns are making a huge effort to get the deal sealed pronto but the former Ajax man, who is currently in the US with Barcelona, is still totally against signing for the red side of Manchester, regardless of all the pressure brought to bear on him. Apart from his deferred wages owing to him, there’s also the issue of United not being able to offer Champions League football the coming season. Which in reality, when push comes to shove, means the Red Devils really need to look at other options.
De Jong’s agent, Ali Dursun, has already told the Old Trafford bosses via Sport to give up their pursuit of the central midfielder, who has recently bought a house in Barcelona and is most contented to be in Barcelona city with his girlfriend.
Ten Hag might have to seriously pursue other options pretty soon if all efforts and ploys to lure his former player to Old Trafford totally fail.