Premier League giants Manchester United are reportedly unwilling to match Barcelona’s £70 million valuation of midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
According to a report by Daily Mail, Manchester United have informed Barcelona of their unwillingness to pay £70 million to complete the signing of their Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong. Incoming manager Erik ten Hag is reportedly eager on a reunion with the former Ajax star, with reports of a summer move gaining pace.
Spanish journalist Gerard Romero had recently claimed that the Blaugrana are open to the idea of selling de Jong in the upcoming summer transfer window, with Manchester United one of the potential suitors. Not only that, Romero even stated that the Red Devils have a 95 per cent chance of completing the transfer before the end of the season.
With Barcelona desperate to clear their wage bill, a move for de Jong looks likely. But as per Daily Mail, the Blaugrana wish to recoup most of the £65 million they paid Ajax to secure the Dutch international’s services in 2019, which has put off Manchester United.
The Red Devils are reportedly not ready to spend a major chunk of their transfer budget on the midfielder and have informed the Barcelona midfielder’s entourage of the same. Erik ten Hag will have a limited budget to splurge from this summer, with multiple positions needing reinforcements.
Manchester United have been on the lookout for a central midfielder, along with a striker and a central defender. But the failure to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League could put a dent in their plans, and they may not be able to sign their first-choice targets.
On the other hand, de Jong is eager to stay put at Barcelona or join a side which could offer him Champions League football. But the Catalan giants are not in a position to commit and could be forced to offload some of their top earners.
“I don’t know if we will sell important players,” Barcelona president Joan Laporta recently said. “If we complete some deals, maybe it won’t be needed. The priority is our financial situation. We will do what is best for the club.”
Manchester City were also linked with a move for the 25-year-old Dutchman, but they seemed to have cooled their interest recently. It will be interesting to see if Manchester United will stand a chance of signing de Jong after deciding not to shell out £70 million on him.
