The days pass and Frenkie de Jong’s transfer to Manchester United is still not confirmed. The Guardian explain that the coach of the English side, Erik ten Hag, is convinced the Barcelona midfielder will sign. According to sources close to the Dutch manager, the agreement is close and their could be news next week. The Telegraaf in the Netherlands also say next week could be when there is an announcement. Barça have been clear that they will sell, but there is still no final agreement with United and they are still working on it.
United are in a rush to close what will be their biggest deal of the summer. From there they can then begin to build out their squad. They have been pressing for weeks, both Barça and the player, but their offers haven’t been accepted yet. In terms of Barça, they are getting closer. There is a broad agreement of a deal that will see Barça earn a guaranteed €80 million, but the fixed fee and variables still need to be negotiated. There is no rush for Barça because the financial year has now closed but both parties want a solution next week.
As for the player, De Jong still has doubts. His camp are also pressing him to accept United’s offer. They are clear that Barça have opened the door for him to leave. They feel it’s best for his career to be the centre point of a project, but he is still reluctant to leave Camp Nou. He will only do so if United pay what he is due in the final years of his Barça deal, given he is due to receive a bigger salary due to deferred payments during the pandemic. The English club are pressing hard and believe they can convince De Jong if they reach an agreement with Barça.
Source:@allfootball.
