Manchester United are growing increasingly confident of signing Frenkie de Jong and have assembled a four-point plan... despite the player's 'disgust' at the transfer saga.
United have agreed an initial £63million fee with Barcelona for the Dutchman, 25, but he wants to stay in Spain. The La Liga outfit are keen to sell him as they have plenty of central midfielders at their disposal and need to boost their transfer budget.
The Red Devils believe they can still persuade De Jong to swap Champions League football for a Europa League campaign as new manager Erik ten Hag coached the player during his time at Ajax, winning a league and cup double during the 2018/19 season.
As reported by The Express, United have prepared a four-point plan to lure De Jong to Old Trafford. They will offer him a priority role at the heart of their midfield, a huge salary, the chance to play with Christian Eriksen and quality forwards in front of him.
United have said goodbye to two midfielders this summer - Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic - and De Jong would undoubtedly be their first-choice midfielder. In terms of salary, the international is looking at a weekly wage of £395,000 - an increase of £41,000 per week.
The Red Devils confirmed the signing of Eriksen, one of the best playmakers in the Premier League, this week - while De Jong would also get the chance to link up with his former Ajax midfield partner Donny van de Beek again. He's still at Old Trafford, remember.
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Finally, United have plenty of forwards to choose from - including Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Cristiano Ronaldo (although the latter wants to leave). That's an upgrade on Barcelona's attack, which includes Martin Braithwaite and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Although United's four-point plan sounds appealing, De Jong would've been aware of it for a while and it still might not be enough to persuade him to leave Barcelona. He's previously described Xavi's side as his "dream" club and is enjoying himself at Camp Nou.
De Jong has created a list of 10 reasons why he shouldn't make the move, including his recent purchase of a house in the region. He still has four years left on his existing deal and has been a regular in the team since his arrival three years ago, playing 140 games.
De Jong has also reportedly told his Barcelona teammates he has no desire to leave the club. "It is impossible for me to leave," he is alleged to have said. "How am I going to leave Barcelona?"
Perhaps the biggest advantage United have in the transfer saga is De Jong's reported 'disgust' at the way Barcelona are treating him. The five-time European champions want him out to raise funds and could even drop him from their pre-season tour of the US.
Club president Joan Laporta has dismissed these claims, telling reporters: "It is not true that the club is forced to sell Frenkie de Jong. His trip to the US will be decided by Xavi." Yet their clear openness to selling De Jong may just encourage him to choose Old Trafford.
