Frenkie De Jong Agrees To Join Manchester United From FC Barcelona

Frenkie de Jong has agreed to join Manchester United from FC Barcelona, according to reports.

Signed from Ajax for €75mn ($79.6mn) in 2019, the Dutchman has been the subject of transfer speculation since the end of last season.

Last weekend, SPORT reported weekend that the Red Devils expected an €80mn ($85mn) deal to be closed in a matter of days while “very close” to signing their target.

On the following Friday in Catalonia, that same daily newspaper claims that De Jong has given is ‘OK’ to the operation “after a few weeks of many doubts”, and The Athletic in the UK have also alleged that De Jong has admitted to being open to a move to United in private.

With De Jong apparently seeking Champions League football which United cannot offer at present, it is said that the player and his environment were waiting for proposals to perhaps come in from the likes of Bayern Munich, Paris Saint Germain or Manchester City. As these haven’t been forthcoming, however, the 25-year-old is now gearing towards a switch to Old Trafford.

The Athletic says that United are hesitant to pay €80mn ($85mn) for De Jong, however, finding that figure to be out of sync with the current transfer market.

At the same time, cash-strapped Barca – in debts of around $1.5bn – are adamant that the Netherlands playmaker will only leave their first team squad for the quoted amount and they will not accept cut-rates for someone they believe to be a “top-level” footballer.

United have tried to offer Barca €60mn ($63.6mn) plus add-ons, but Barca want the full €80mn ($85mn) so that they have more money to navigate the summer transfer window and pursue targets such as Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski.

While De Jong had openly expressed his desire to stay put, SPORT say he is now annoyed by his current employers demonstrating the fact he is no longer untouchable and is transferable.

At least in Manchester, he would be a cornerstone of the new sporting project there and reunited with former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag who has thus far extracted the best club form from the central midfielder during the 2018/2019 run to the Champions League semi-finals.

In any event, the Catalans want a potential deal done before June 30, which means that everything in the process should be speeded up with time of the essence.