Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is travelling to London to spark rumours of a late transfer in the summer window.
De Jong has been the subject of a fresh approach from Manchester United after boss Erik ten Hag urged the club to remain patient on a deal that has been in negotiations for over 16 weeks. As Mirror Football exclusively reported, United’s signing of Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro had not ended the club’s pursuit of the Barca star. Indeed, De Jong liked a social media post of Casemiro’s arrival as a United player, sparking more speculation.
United have offices in London and Erik ten Hag recently instructed United to remain patient on a deal after holding fresh talks with the player but Premier League rivals Chelsea are believed to also be keen on a move for the Dutch midfielder.
United transfer chiefs have travelled to the Catalan capital to attempt to resurrect a deal for the Dutch midfielder after the Blaugrana scheduled a meeting to speed up a sale they are desperate to cash in on the final week of the transfer window.
However, while De Jong’s destination is understandably sparking huge speculation with the close of the transfer window just three days away – his decision to fly there may be coincidental. Barca players have been handed time off by the club after their four-goal win over Real Valladolid on Sunday evening.
De Jong is the club’s highest earner but has not started in two of their opening three La Liga matches to date. The Dutchman’s only start of the campaign came in the match at Real Sociedad when Sergio Busquets was unavailable through suspension.
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In addition to his current wage at the Camp Nou, the player is also owed a further €17million in amortisations and back payments through deferred wages, which had complicated his future – with the Blaugrana keen to avoid these costs with a sale, but the player’s agents demanding that he was entitled to the contractual obligations.
Barca have already demanded of De Jong that he reduce his salary by half or leave the club which has not yet been met – with the treatment of him being slammed as like the "mafia" by former Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart. Ex-Barca striker Gary Lineker has criticised the Blaugrana for treating the midfielder "like a piece of meat".
It's claimed De Jong agreed to take a pay cut for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns, with that money due to be paid to him between 2022 and 2026. That means De Jong has received a hefty pay rise this summer, despite the club's need to make financial savings.
As De Jong's representatives and Barcelona are set to discuss the restructuring of his contract, there's a possibility even more wages could be deferred. A number of proposals are reportedly being considered to reach a favourable agreement for all parties.
"He is a Barca player of great quality and we want him to stay," insisted president Joan Laporta. "He has offers but we want him to stay and he wants to stay too."
