Barcelona midfielder’s deferred salary halted Manchester United’s progress in his pursuit

Manchester United have been chasing the signing of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong for over three months now but have been unable to get the deal over the line.

The Red Devils made the 25-year-old one of their top targets as soon as Erik ten Hag took over as manager at Old Trafford. Barcelona, for their part, were open to selling as well, as they needed to get his wages off the books and generate funds to sign Bernardo Silva.

To that end, the two clubs even reached an agreement over a transfer in a deal worth €85 million. However, de Jong remained firm on his stance that he does not wish to leave the club, which became a major roadblock in the transfer going through.

Manchester Evening News further reports that another major issue that halted the progress of the deal was the midfielder’s deferred salaries at Barcelona over the past couple of seasons.

Since his arrival, de Jong has agreed to multiple pay cuts and wage deferral at Camp Nou due to the club’s financial situation.

The Netherlands international is owed around €16 million in deferred wage payments which need to be paid out over the next four years, the duration of his contract with Barcelona.

It is believed to have played a role in Manchester United’s pursuit of the Dutch midfielder coming to a halt. However, the Red Devils are planning a fresh approach to sign him despite adding Casemiro from Real Madrid.

There have been talks about potential moves from even Chelsea and Bayern Munich as well. But, as things stand, de Jong still does not wish to leave Barcelona and plans to continue at Camp Nou.