Manchester United have reportedly withdrawn their bid for Frenkie de Jong, with the club turning their attention to other targets.
The Dutch international has been a target for much of the summer, with United and Barcelona agreeing a fee for the 25-year-old earlier in the summer. There had been reports that the deal had expired, opening the door for Chelsea, but new reports suggest it is United themselves who have pulled the plug.
With De Jong still in the middle of a stand-off with Barca over deferred wages, the new approach could allow United to return later in the window with a lower bid of one more focused around add-ons or incentives. And, with Erik ten Hag's side stepping away from a deal for fellow target Adrien Rabiot, there's every chance they do just that.
"There is a major change in this soap opera, as we call it in The Netherlands at the moment, around the big Dutch international," Marcel van der Kraan of De Telegraaf told Sky Sports. " Manchester United have officially withdrawn their offer to Barcelona.
"They had this offer on the table... this €85m (£72m) bid has been on the table for weeks, and there was a deadline on it. This deadline has now gone past, and before the deadline Manchester United had to take a decision.
"They have said 'okay, we withdraw the entire package for everything we ever agreed'. It means that there is a whole new starting point."
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De Jong's situation this summer has been complicated by the deferred wages owed to him by Barcelona. He has continued to feature in pre-season and in La Liga, though, and appeared off the bench against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
"Will Manchester United make a new offer? Maybe one which is more extended, maybe it could cover some of Frenkie's demands? I doubt it, actually, because he wants the money from Barcelona," Van der Kraan continued.
"It could also mean they will not make another offer at all. There is a whole new blank situation at this moment.
"[Erik ten Hag] still wants the player. But there was no other way for Manchester United as a club than to withdraw this offer."
