The Frenkie De Jong Transfer Saga | A Transfer to United Not Happening

Manchester United have been linked to Frenkie de Jong for too long, stretching over three months now. However, the Reds Devils have grown no closer to landing the Dutchman over this period.

United have managed to make three signings for new manager Erik ten Hag. Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez were procured from the Eredivisie, while Christian Eriksen was signed as a free agent. However, the United are still pursuing one of their priority targets in the transfer market, i.e. De Jong.

Frenkie de Jong, Manchester United — Image Obtained Via: Team Talk

The entire Frenkie de Jong saga has been marred by twists and turns, with no real progress. Broadly, two major factors have stalled any agreement between FC Barcelona, Manchester United and the player:

1. Barcelona’s Economic Levers And Transfer Activity?

Barcelona and Manchester United had reached an agreement over the transfer fee some time ago. The Red Devils agreed to pay a total of €75 million up front with another €10 million in variables.

Today marks 100 days since #mufc's first movement for Frenkie de Jong. This is also roughly the time it has taken them to realise they need to buy a defensive midfielder.

— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) August 19, 2022

However, the Blaugrana have a problem with the Dutch midfielder’s wages. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Catalan club faced a lot of financial difficulties. In order to ease the burden, several players took pay cuts or deferred their wages.

Three players in particular – Frenkie de Jong, Clement Lenglet, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen signed contract extensions with an agreement to defer their wages. These deferred wages have not been paid to the players yet. Frenkie deferred around €17 million. This amount was to be paid over the 4 years that the player extended for, with an additional €1 million payable in the final year.

🗞 Barcelona owe Frenkie de Jong €17m in wages he agreed to defer during the pandemic and are trying to make him accept only €7m. [@martynziegler, @TimesSport]

— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) July 30, 2022

The 25-year-old cannot avail his loyalty bonuses or his basic salary from the La Liga side if he does leave in this transfer window. However, the €17 million has to be paid by the club regardless. Barca have shown reluctance to pay this fee, stalling any move for the player. De Jong is Barca’s top earner, reportedly making over €560,000 a week.

The Catalan club have reportedly given Frenkie two options: to stay with a significant pay cut or leave without claiming any deferred wages. The Dutchman believes he is not responsible for Barcelona’s financial mess and is not keen to take a pay cut or forfeit the money legally due to him.

Barcelona have told Frenkie de Jong that they want him to revert back to his previous contract because they have evidence of criminality around his renewal by the club’s former board and can threaten legal action, reports @David_Ornstein pic.twitter.com/TnSiSvRva9

— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 8, 2022

In a shocking turn of events, the Catalan giants are even willing to take legal action against De Jong. David Ornstein reported that Barcelona believe to have found ‘traces of criminality’ in the deal the player signed back in 2020.

If the club are able to prove any illegality in the contract, it naturally becomes void. According to reports, this would mean Frenkie de Jong reverts to his original contract, which was only until 2024 and on fewer wages.

2. Frenkie De Jong’s Personal Preferences

Another major factor that has halted any progress in the transfer is De Jong’s unwillingness to join the Red Devils. From the onset, it has been reported that the former Ajax midfielder preferred to stay at the Camp Nou than join Erik ten Hag’s side. In recent weeks, it appeared that Frenkie de Jong seems more and more reluctant to join Manchester United than to leave FC Barcelona.

As an additional blow, Premier League rivals Chelsea have entered the race for the Dutchman. Not only are the Blues willing to match Barca’s asking price, but are also ready to cover De Jong’s deferred wages. Reports suggest that while Manchester United are not even an option for the 25-year-old, he could be more open to joining Thomas Tuchel’s side.

There is a private acceptance at #MUFC that a Frenkie de Jong transfer won't happen as long as Chelsea push. As previously reported, de Jong wants to stay at Barcelona, but if forced out he sees a move to #CFC as more preferable.

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) August 9, 2022

Manchester United also realize that they can not actually land the midfielder as long as Chelsea are in contention. De Jong’s priority is still to remain at Camp Nou. And news outlets in Spain claim that the feelings may be mutual too.

While a part of the club’s board endorses the Dutchman’s sale to clear up wages that will allow the signing of Bernardo Silva, a few heavyweights differ. Club president Joan Laporta and manager Xavi Hernandez would prefer for the 25-year-old midfielder to stay with a wage cut rather than leave.

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Verdict

The never-ending Frenkie De Jong saga is leaving a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. FC Barcelona’s treatment of their star players has come under heavy scrutiny. Manchester United have spent months chasing a player who has remained undecisive on his stance throughout.

Even the Dutch international is not free from criticism. The Red Devils have been linked as a possible destination for the midfielder for a while now. Factors such as working with Erik ten Hag and the chance to headline a squad rebuild have all contributed to these links. De Jong has even been in regular contact with his former Ajax boss the whole time.

It would be unfair now if De Jong decides to abandon United and sign for a direct rival instead. The Red Devils have built their summer transfer plans around the Dutch midfielder and even set apart their budget to accommodate the midfielder. A last-minute switch to Chelsea would be more bitter for the United fans than if De Jong actually stays put now.

What do you think of the Frenkie De Jong saga? Let us know in the comments.

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