Frenkie de Jong's move from Barcelona to Manchester United has reportedly entered a 'decisive stage' after the Catalan giants identified a replacement.
The Red Devils want to sign the Dutch midfielder, 25, in time for their pre-season tour of Asia and Australia. New manager Erik ten Hag worked with De Jong at Ajax before he joined Barcelona in July 2019, winning the Eredivisie title and KVNB Cup in 2018-19.
United have already had a £60million bid for De Jong rejected and are expected to make another, improved offer shortly. Barcelona will reportedly let the player leave the club for the right price to reduce their debt - standing at £1billion last year - and wage bill, with a view to making signings of their own.
Ten Hag is believed to have persuaded De Jong to join his Old Trafford revolution and, according to Spanish outlet AS, via Sport Witness, Barcelona will sign Valencia star Carlos Soler as a replacement after super-agent Jorge Mendes suggested the deal.
Barcelona manager Xavi is said to be a fan of Soler. The 25-year-old has played 235 games for Valencia, helping them win the Copa del Rey in 2018-19. The midfielder has nine caps for Spain and was part of the squad that won a silver medal at the Olympics last summer.
As for United's pursuit of De Jong, the biggest stumbling block is thought to be the price tag Barcelona have slapped the player. They paid Ajax €75m (£65m) - plus a further €11m (£9.5m) in add-ons - when the transfer was agreed in January 2019. The move was finalised six months later.
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Barcelona are reportedly demanding €100m (£86.1m) for De Jong, allowing them to make a profit. That alleged deal would see €80m (£68.9m) paid up front with a further €20m (£17.1m) following in add-ons. The player still has four years left on his contract.
Although Barcelona have recently struggled with their finances, De Jong's valuation has not diminished. He's been a regular during his three seasons at the Nou Camp, making 140 appearances and helping them win the Copa del Rey in 2020-21.
When asked about De Jong's future in May, Xavi said: "I have said many times that Frenkie is very important. He's a key player... then there is also the financial situation of the club and it has to be decided. I'm not talking about Frenkie, in general."
United are after De Jong because Ten Hag is keen to fix his inherited midfield. The Red Devils have just two senior central midfielders on their books - Fred and Scott McTominay - and both have come under criticism from pundits and fans in recent seasons.
Fellow central midfielder Paul Pogba will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of this month - with a return to Juventus in the pipeline - while Nemanja Matic has been given a free transfer. He is set to join former manager Jose Mourinho at Roma.
"Are you leaving the Catalan beaches for the cold of Manchester?" a reporter asked De Jong on Saturday. The midfielder laughed and replied: "I can't say anything."
