Man Utd close to agreeing £70m Frenkie de Jong transfer with Barcelona | Soccer

Erik ten Hag worked with de Jong when the pair were at Ajax and is keen to hook up with the 25-year-old at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag, who has signed a three-year deal at United, is looking to add a new striker, midfielder and centre-back to his squad this summer, with the likes of Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani and Jesse Lingard leaving the club after 2021. 22 campaign.

Manchester United have been in talks with Barcelona for several weeks over the terms and Spanish outlet Sport say a deal is now close to final.

It is claimed that United are close to agreeing a £70million transfer fee for De Jong, with Barcelona taking the opportunity to capitalize on the Dutch star in a bid to improve his dire financial situation.

However, it remains to be seen whether De Jong will actually sign for Manchester United as he reportedly still needs some convincing.

While De Jong is drawn to the Premier League and enjoys playing under Ten Hag, the lack of Champions League football at Old Trafford is a deterrent.

Under interim boss Ralf Rangnick and ex-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United finished just sixth last season, meaning they will play in the Europa League next season.

To compensate, United are ready to make de Jong one of their highest-paid players, although the Dutchman could still decide he wants to stay at Barcelona.

Manchester United want a final decision from De Jong by mid-June and could increase their interest in Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic if his top target turns them down.

De Jong has made 140 appearances for Barcelona since joining the La Liga giants from Ajax in 2019. He was one of Barca’s most important players last season, making 47 appearances last season.

“Playing for Barcelona on the rise or Manchester United on the rise is a completely different thing when one is playing in the Champions League and the other isn’t,” he said.

“For him to go to Manchester United I think they would have to pay him more than he earns at Barcelona, ​​which I think is going to be a really difficult thing considering he went to Barcelona for a huge amount of money.

“You prefer to stay with Barcelona in the Champions League while Xavi tries to change things. players like [Andreas] Christensen and [Robert] The possible move of Lewandowski makes that a more exciting challenge, I think.

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