Manchester United’s £55m pursuit of Frenkie de Jong’ hits ANOTHER stumbling block as his agents insist he doesn’t want to leave Barcelona this summer’… but he’s also ‘refusing to take a pay cut to stay at the Nou Camp’
- Frenkie de Jong has told Barcelona that he has no interest in leaving the club
- Manchester United are desperate to sign the Dutch midfielder this summer
- The two clubs have agreed a package for De Jong worth an initial £55million
- But De Jong wants to stay put and not take a pay cut to ease the club’s troubles
Manchester United have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong after the Dutchman’s agent told Barcelona that he has no interest in leaving this summer.
Sportsmail reported on Monday how United’s Richard Arnold and John Murtough were in Spain to thrash out a deal with Barca sporting director Jordi Cruyff, director of football Mateu Alemany and sports vice-president Rafa Yuste at the Triton Restaurante.
The two clubs have agreed a package for De Jong worth an initial £55million that could potentially rise to £72m and it is now up to the player to decide where his future lies.
Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong has told Barcelona he has no interest in leaving
New United boss Erik ten Hag wants De Jong at Old Trafford as the new leader of his midfield
But, according to The Guardian, United have been informed by De Jong’s agents – Ali Dursun and Hasan Cetinkaya – that the 25-year-old wants to stay put in Spain.
It is a huge blow for United boss Erik ten Hag, who wants to reunite with his former Ajax player and make him the heartbeat of his side’s midfield.
Worryingly for Barcelona, however, is that De Jong is also ‘not open to reducing his salary’ after already agreeing to defer around £17m in wages during the pandemic.
Reports in Spain on Tuesday suggested Barcelona had told De Jong to take a ‘substantial pay cut’ if he wanted to stay because of the club’s perilous financial position.
Mundo Deportivo report that Alemany and Cruyff, as well as Xavi, sat down with De Jong, 25, ahead of his first training session back and explained the situation.
They reportedly told De Jong that if he wishes he to stay at Barcelona, he will be required to take a significant cut on his £5m-a-year…