FC Barcelona Reach Agreement, Want To Sell De Jong To Manchester United Before June 30

FC Barcelona and Manchester United have reached an agreement for the transfer of Frenkie de Jong, which they want to complete before June 30.

Catalan daily newspaper SPORT revealed on Saturday that talks between the two clubs were already “well advanced”. Now on Sunday, The Times in England says that they have reached an agreement which they want finalized before next Thursday.

All that remains, it seems, is getting De Jong – who has been adamant he wants to stay at Barca – to agree personal terms with the Red Devils.

The 25-year-old will be offered a five-year contract. And though he would be reunited with new head coach Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, who extracted the best form of De Jong’s career from him when Ajax reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, the Netherlands international isn’t convinced by the sporting project in northwestern England which can’t offer him football in UEFA’s
EFA
elite club competition next season.

Now, however, he is clear that he is no longer “untouchable” at Camp Nou given the rise of Spanish midfield prodigies Pedri and Gavi, and at United De Jong will have the opportunity to be the cornerstone and leader of Ten Hag’s plans.

The transfer for De Jong once looked to be jeopardized after the two clubs could not agree on its value.

Barca were always intent on not letting their man – who they signed from Ajax in 2019 for €75mn ($79mn) – switch allegiances for less than €80mn ($85mn).

Though United were offering something like €65mn ($69mn) plus easily achievable add-ons, the final figure is now believed to be close to what the Catalans wanted and will come as a great boost to the cash-strapped club currently in around debts of $1.5bn.

June 30 is also an important date as it is the deadline for Barca to balance their accounts.

Once the money has been received, Xavi Hernandez’s men can then focus on transfer targets such as Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, a right winger in the mold of Raphinha or Angel Di Maria if Ousmane Dembele leaves, and Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva.