Manchester United do not want to be Barcelona’s economic ‘saviour’ – report

English giants Manchester United and their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong has been no secret, with the Red Devils even having made a bid for the midfielder already, which has since been rejected by Barcelona.

The Catalans find themselves in dire straits financially, faced with the sales of multiple players unimportant and important to the sporting project. Frenkie de Jong is arguably the most unfortunate victim of their situation.

A fan favourite and labelled an integral part of Barcelona’s long-term sporting project for the future, de Jong’s potential departure has not been received well within the Blaugrana faithful.

The Dutchman himself had stated his intent to continue at Barcelona and is also considered important by Xavi, but the club’s hands seem to be tied, and they do not seem to have the luxury to reject the kind of money he may bring in and consequently free up in the wage bill.

The Daily Mirror have reported that Manchester United will indeed come back with an improved offer for de Jong, but it will still fall short of the valuation set by Barca at around 80 million euros.

The English side, now managed by de Jong’s former coach at Ajax Erik ten Hag are very keen on signing him but are not willing to be the singular solution to Barcelona’s financial problems.

For de Jong, the deal from United may be a lucrative one in terms of personal earnings, but his ambition is to play Champions League football, which is not on the cards for a while if he moves to Old Trafford this summer.

De Jong’s potential departure might be a very unfavourable consequence for Barcelona, but if they stay adamant on their asking price, it could save them a great deal of financial hassle in their own transfer plans.