The big transfer deal Barça were hoping to complete before 30 June is on the way to being sorted out. Frenkie de Jong is now closer to signing for Manchester United as he has given the OK to the deal after weeks of doubts....CONTINUE READING
The player’s entourage were waiting to receive other offers from Bayern, PSG and Manchester City, but the price Barça have set – a minimum of 80 million euros – has not made it easier for them to enter the bidding. According to ‘The Athletic’, the player has already shown his willingness to play in the Premier League and at Manchester United privately.
The English club is already aware of this predisposition and now it would be a matter of reaching an economic agreement with Barça to formalise the operation.
The Athletic’ explains that United want the player but are hesitating to pay the 80 million fixed fee that Barça would demand to open the door to the Dutchman. They believe that the figure is out of the market, but the Blaugrana club is inflexible when it comes to negotiating.
They warned the English club weeks ago that they would listen to offers but would only give in if a multi-million pound bid came in. Barça paid 75 million euros plus objectives for De Jong and have already paid off a good part of that transfer, but they understand that he is a top level player and they will not accept discounts. In addition, he renewed recently so they are not afraid of leaks. He will only leave for the agreed price or he will stay in the blaugrana.
United have only been making feelers without making a definitive offer. It has sounded prices and speculated with a payment of 60 million plus objectives, a figure that Barça will not accept because it wants the 80 million fixed, which would make it one of the great operations of the summer market.
There is still room for negotiation but the Blaugrana club have also warned that they are interested in closing the deal before 30 June, so everything should be speeded up.
De Jong has openly explained his desire to stay at Barça. He signed for the Blaugrana, rejecting a higher offer from PSG at the time, and did so because it was his dream to join the Camp Nou. Now he is a bit upset because Barça have not hidden the fact that he is a transferable player, so he is no longer untouchable.
He understands that he has been put on the market and that distrust would have motivated his change of position to leave this summer.
That and his relationship with Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag, who has promised him to be the star and reference point of the English team in his sporting project. There will be a lot of investment in Manchester and the club is confident of being able to fight for the Premiership this season.
