Xavi has not given the green light to sell Frenkie de Jong yet

Barcelona fans were dealt with a bit of a shock late on Wednesday night as reports emerged claiming that Frenkie de Jong’s move to Manchester United was close to completion.

Indeed, the reliable Gerard Romero went on to claim that the Dutchman’s transfer to the Premier League club was 95% complete. He further added that the Blaugrana stood to make €80 million from the deal.

De Jong’s future has been a hot topic of debate for months now, with reports claiming that Barça are considering a sale of the 24-year-old in order to help balance the books ahead of the next season.

However, Diario AS journalist Javi Miguel has provided an update on the matter, stating that despite the claims of a transfer being done, manager Xavi Hernandez is yet to give his green light to the sale and a lot of decisions are yet to be made with regard to de Jong’s future.

Xavi has maintained that the Netherlands international remains a part of his plan, but the club’s financial situation could be forcing the board to consider parting ways with the former Ajax man.

De Jong joined Barcelona in the summer of 2019 from Ajax, in a deal worth €86 million. However, he has failed to hit the heights of the 2018/19 campaign with the Dutch giants during which he led them to the Eredivisie title and the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

With the Blaugrana in a tight spot economically, one or two big player sales are needed. And the Dutchman is seen as a sellable asset as his value remains ever so high even though he has not fulfilled his potential since arriving at Camp Nou.

Manchester United have named Erik ten Hag as their new manager. The 52-year-old was key to de Jong flourishing at Ajax and is believed to be keen on joining forces with his compatriot again. But it remains to be seen if Xavi is willing to sanction the deal in the coming weeks.