Manchester United are closing in on a deal to sign midfielder Frenkie de Jong with an initial transfer fee agreed with Barcelona.
A fee of £56million for the Dutch midfield ace has been struck between the clubs – the first major hurdle of the deal which has now been cleared. It comes amid reports that the player already cleared out his locker at Barca with a move to Old Trafford appearing to be edging closer.
New United boss Erik ten Hag – who managed the midfielder at Ajax - held a phone call with De Jong in which he convinced the player of his significance to his plans at Old Trafford. The midfielder was told he would be the 'conductor of the orchestra' and would be an undisputed starter under Ten Hag – a similar role to the one he enjoyed so much in Amsterdam.
The initial transfer fee was the first major hurdle to the deal coming to fruition, with the agreed amount appearing to vindicate United’s approach to the negotiation process. However, there are still several other stumbling blocks that need to be cleared before the deal is completed.
Naturally, the transfer fee add-ons are the next significant step that needs to be cleared. It is expected that this will take the value of the deal up to a potential £70million in total. However, the breakdown of these add-ons will be subject to specifics between the two clubs.
These are usually based on add-ons which are easily attainable – a minimum number of appearances – or those which are based on the success of either the player or the team within a certain timeframe, such as winning a Premier League title or Champions League crown. More simply, it could be a guaranteed amount within a particular timeframe.
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Of course, then the personal terms between the player and club must be agreed upon to determine his contract. This will specify his wage, length of stay, signing-on fee and individual bonuses within that structure. Whilst there have been suggestions that Ten Hag has persuaded De Jong that Old Trafford is the destination for him, this agreement is far from being a formality.
Linked into the contract but separate from the player are the agent fees that will be agreed between United and HCM Sports Management, the group representing De Jong. The midfielder is their highest-profile client, but their player stable also includes United duo Donny van de Beek and Victor Lindelof – so there is clearly a strong relationship between the parties.
The step of an initial fee being agreed between the clubs is clearly a significant one, but it is just the first major hurdle that will now kickstart the next stage of negotiations to bring this transfer saga to a potential close.
