Manchester United step up Frenkie de Jong bid to €80 million – report

A recent report from The National News has offered a detailed update on Manchester United’s pursuit of Frenkie de Jong.

The Premier League giants have recently kickstarted their pre-season preparation under new coach Erik ten Hag. While the Dutchman is expected to ring in the tactical changes on the pitch, his focus remains on the transfer window.

Ten Hag has urged the board to sign Frenkie de Jong ahead of the new season. Man United board has done well to oblige, but there remain several complications.

The new chairman John Murtough is keen on signing de Jong this summer, but he is embracing a patient approach as he does not want to overpay for the Dutch international, who has never really fulfilled his potential at Barcelona.

Nevertheless, Manchester United have recently put forth a bid of around €63 million. While the amount of cash offered may not be up to Barcelona’s demands, there are several achievable bonuses included in the contract that could take the package up to €80 million.

It should bode well for Barcelona, who are keen on recouping the €75 million they spent on the midfielder in 2019. Man United themselves are confident of reaching an agreement with the Catalans, knowing the club are desperate to sell as well.

Barça indeed are sitting on massive debts and are relying heavily on player saves to generate additional revenue this summer.

However, even if Man United reach an agreement with Barcelona over de Jong, they could face serious a roadblock from the Dutchman, who has no real desire to leave Camp Nou and has appeared reluctant to accept United’s offer.

Barcelona want de Jong to settle for the terms offered by the Premier League giants and put an early end to his chapter at Camp Nou. But with the player remaining keen on continuing under Xavi, we could be in for a protracted transfer saga this summer.