Frenkie de Jong is expected to accept a pay cut at Barcelona, all but ending Manchester United's long pursuit of the midfielder.
United have been chasing De Jong's signature all summer. They agreed an initial £56million fee with Barcelona in July but have failed to negotiate personal terms with the 25-year-old. It's believed De Jong's preference has always been to stay at the Camp Nou.
Due to their dire financial situation, Barcelona have been trying to get De Jong to accept a pay cut or complete a permanent transfer to Old Trafford. The Spanish giants owe him £17m in deferred wages due to an agreement made at the peak of the Covid pandemic.
As reported by Spanish outlet SPORT, De Jong's representatives and Barcelona will discuss restructuring the player's contract, starting this season. It's believed De Jong's team were angered by the club's alleged attempt to deem his existing deal as illegal.
Reports earlier this summer suggested that Barcelona were hoping to cancel the contract agreed between De Jong and the previous board in October 2020 and revert back to his old deal, which would write off the £17m owed in deferred wages.
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 financial woes.
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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.
It's believed De Jong did consider leaving Barcelona but wasn't persuaded by United or Chelsea, who were also interested in his services. The player was said to be grateful for the interest, especially for United's relentless but futile desire to bring him to England.
"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."
Speaking in June, former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman insisted De Jong wanted to stay in Spain. "The only thing I know from Frenkie is that he wants to stay at Barca," Koeman told TV3. "In fact, a couple of days ago he said that: 'I want to stay at Barca.'
"But I don't know if Barca want to sell Frenkie de Jong or if they just need the money - because I think he is one of the few players they have that has such a high price."
Barcelona's budget has been slashed further by numerous signings this summer, a policy led by Laporta. They've brought in the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen and Jules Kounde - with the latter still to be registered.
