The transfer saga of the summer is by far and away Manchester United's ongoing pursuit of Frenkie de Jong.
The Dutchman has been the club's chief target ever since his compatriot Erik ten Hag was unveiled as United's new manager earlier this year. Barcelona midfielder De Jong has been in Spain for three seasons but Ten Hag wants to reunite with a player he coached when they were together at Ajax.
But with barely three weeks of the transfer window remaining there is still no indication of a deal being reached. A key complication in the matters is that the Dutch international, who is Barca's highest earning player, is owed €17million in unpaid wages by his employers. The problem for the club is that they are currently unable to process such payments, which has added another element of uncertainty to the player’s future.
Resolving this issue has been central to recent meetings between De Jong's agents and the club, one of which reportedly took place on Wednesday after pictures emerged of the midfielder's representatives Ali Dursun and Hasan Centikaya arriving in Spain.
Given the hurdles needed to overcome to get the De Jong deal done, and the relatively tight timescale before the English transfer window shuts at the start of next month, United are said to be considering alternatives should the 25-year-old prove unattainable.
Would Kessie be a good alternative to De Jong? Let us know here
And in a strange quirk of fate their new prime target could be a current teammate of De Jong's, albeit a fleeting one. Franck Kessie was one of the many names previously linked with a move to United. He only arrived at the Nou Camp this summer after his contract at Italian giants AC Milan ran down. But reports claim that he and fellow new arrival Andreas Christensen could be sensationally allowed to leave Barca for free if they are not registered before the opening game this weekend.
Despite reports saying that it is highly unlikely to be the case, it nevertheless remains a prospect that United could potentially sign Kessie without having to fork out a fee. Speaking to Spanish media after his unveiling, Kessie said: "Everything is going really well, there is a great environment. My teammates have embraced me, it’s like a second family. The training sessions, my relationship with the staff, it’s all going really well.
"Barça is a team made to win and the fans always expect more. For me Barça has always been the best team in the world. A lot of signings have been made and we’ll give our best to help the team. The staff and the teammates will help us integrate quickly. We’ll work hard to achieve great things this season.
"Everybody knows Barça’s way of playing, even when I was far away I was following them. It’s one of the best team in the world with a playing identity that won’t change: keeping the ball. Technically all the players in the squad are incredible."
