Erik ten Hag's conviction that Frenkie De Jong is the player to lead Manchester United 's renaissance is behind the club’s inertia in the transfer market.
Ten Hag was handed a £150million budget on his arrival at Old Trafford earlier this summer - and immediately asked for six new signings to begin a major rebuild. He was also told any money raised by departures would be added to his kitty.
Ten Hag made De Jong his No 1 target - and believes that Holland’s midfield playmaker will choose United ahead of Chelsea in a straight choice between the two Premier League clubs. United have a £71.85million agreement in place with Barcelona to sign De Jong.
But the 25-year-old is refusing to give up on £17million in deferred wages to make the move happen. The stalemate has now been dragging on for weeks - but Ten Hag has been reluctant to tell United to press the button on any further incoming deals because he is worried it would strip him of the finances to sign De Jong.
United's manager has told the club that De Jong is a world-class talent with the technique and vision to become the leader of his team. Barcelona boss Xavi has told De Jong that he doesn't feature in his plans - and his decision to only use the Dutchman as a substitute defender during the club's pre-season tour of the USA was regarded as a humiliating slap in the face.
United have lined up a £15million-plus-add-ons deal for Juventus midfielder Adrien Raboit - but if they land the Frenchman it will not alter their stance on De Jong. Raboit’s £160,000-a-week wage demands are currently deemed to be excessive. As revealed by the Sunday Mirror last week, Ten Hag has also targeted PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo. The United boss has already spoken to the 23-year-old Dutch footballer of the Year.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Manchester United give up on Frenkie de Jong? Comment below.
Ten Hag explained the financial tightrope he is walking to Gakpo and is aware that PSV will not cash in on the player anyway until their Champions League fate is decided. PSV meet Rangers in a play-off for a place in the group stages worth around £60million. If United can secure De Jong that would swallow the rest of their budget for the summer and they would then have to raise funds for Gakpo’s arrival by selling players - unless the club’s owners agree to loosen the purse strings.
United have spent £65million bringing in Lisandro Martinez from Ajax and Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord, while Christian Eriksen arrived as a free agent. Ten Hag inherited a squad that has been stripped of out-of-contract players like Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani and Juan Mata, while Nemanja Matic has been allowed to leave and Dean Henderson and Alex Telles have gone on loan.
United’s only sale has been the £8.5million departure of Andreas Pereira to Fulham and there have been no takers for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly or Phil Jones. De Jong’s future is the key to Ten Hag’s plans. Barcelona have told him to leave - and that he would have to take a significant pay-cut to stay.
De Jong is refusing to budge on what he believes he is entitled to under the terms of the contract extension he signed just 11 months ago. The Catalan club have been selling off future TV rights and parts of their in-house media studio to raise funds to meet Financial Fair Play and the salary cap imposed on them by La Liga.
This has enabled them to register new signings Robert Lewandowski, Raphina, Frank Kessie and Andreas Christensen. But Jules Kounde is still unregistered, while Marcos Alonso is unable to complete his switch from Chelsea. De Jong will not follow Gerard Pique’s lead by taking a pay-cut. United feel that Barcelona are trying to force them into meeting their £17million obligation to De Jong to make the deal happen.
But Old Trafford’s moneymen know that Barcelona’s need to get the Dutchman off the payroll is even more desperate The Catalan club were hoping that Chelsea’s interest would break the deal wide open. But the Londoners are faced with the same dilemma. It will now come down to which club blinks first.
