Frenkie de Jong is reportedly eager to remain at Camp Nou, even though Barcelona and Manchester United have reached an agreement for his transfer.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Frenkie de Jong might have dented Manchester United’s hopes of signing him in the summer transfer window. The Dutch midfielder wants to stay at Camp Nou, even though Barcelona and Manchester United have agreed to the transfer fee for his move.
Frenkie de Jong finds himself in a spot of bother at FC Barcelona, even though he has been one of their most reliable performers since arriving from Ajax in July 2019. The 25-year-old has featured nearly 150 times for the Blaugrana, chipping in with 12 goals and 17 assists.
But the Dutch international is, by far, the most bankable asset for Barcelona, which is why his long-term future at Camp Nou is up in the air amid the Catalan club’s financial woes. And such a situation has captured the attention of Manchester United, with the Red Devils hoping to take advantage of Barcelona’s distress by prising de Jong away.
Manchester United will need to invest in a creative midfielder in the summer transfer window after Paul Pogba’s departure as a free agent. And Frenkie de Jong has emerged as the priority target for the Premier League heavyweights, who are prepared to make him one of their highest-paid players to tempt him to switch from Camp Nou to Old Trafford.
But de Jong has been keen on remaining at FC Barcelona despite the stance of the Blaugrana over his possible sale. That has put stumbling blocks for Manchester United, who also had to go through stretched-out negotiations before eventually reaching an advanced stage in discussions last week.
Reports this week have indeed provided good news to Manchester United fans, with the Red Devils and Barcelona agreeing to an initial €65 million fee for de Jong’s transfer. But the 25-year-old now threatens to put a spanner in the works for Barcelona and Manchester United, as he does not want to leave.
Also Read: Three potential Frenkie de Jong replacements for Barcelona
The Dutch international is ready to dig his heels in at Camp Nou, which is bad news for the two clubs. With Barcelona’s economic levers not yet activated, selling de Jong is one of their sources to balance their books and fund transfer this summer. But de Jong’s resistance means there is still some way to go before Manchester United and Barcelona oversee his transfer, if at all.
