Manchester United Agree Initial Fee With Barcelona For Frenkie De Jong

Frenkie de Jong, Manchester United, Barcelona, Joan Laporta

According to latest reports, Manchester United are very close to reaching an agreement with Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong. Reports indicate that officials from the two clubs were involved in negotiations throughout the weekend and are said to have agreed in principle a total amount for the transfer.

The Dutchman could be one of the most important signings of the Erik ten Hag era. The Dutch manager had previously brought the best out of the player when they were working together at Ajax. Ten Hag had his eyes set on the Barca midfielder ever since he was announced as the next United manager.

Earlier, it was believed that the 25-year-old would be reluctant to move to Old Trafford this summer due to the lack of Champions League football. However, the financial situation at the Camp Nou and the idea of reuniting with his former manager might have swayed the midfielder.

Frenkie de Jong, Manchester United — Image obtained via TEAMtalk

Although Barcelona preferably wanted something in the region of £86 million, the Catalan club seem to have compromised on their initial asking price and are now very close to agreeing on a deal with Manchester United for De Jong. United’s initial bid of £51 million was rejected by Barcelona but both clubs are now keen on finding a middle ground.

According to Mirror, United have agreed an initial fee of £56m (€65m) with Barcelona for their top priority target Frenkie de Jong. The total cost of the deal could rise up to £70m (€85m) depending on performance related bonuses, but these add-ons are yet to be finalised.

The Red Devils are confident that the Spanish giants want the transfer to take place. They have been heavily criticised due to their failure to sign even a single player. This transfer will certainly take a huge burden off the shoulders of the United board.

If the transfer is completed, De Jong will get a better salary than what he earns at Barcelona. The Holland international is expected to earn around £250,000-a-week at Old Trafford, on a five-year-deal.

Manchester United had a new direct contact today for Frenkie de Jong deal. 🚨🇳🇱 #MUFC

After €65m new verbal bid, Barça ask for €85/86m fee. The agreement is finally getting closer as clubs are in talks about add-ons to reach €85m full package.

Work in progress between clubs. pic.twitter.com/tXZiPKD9NN

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 27, 2022

Manchester United want to complete this transfer by June 30th, as talkSPORT reports. The Red Devils have already spent a lot of time in the pursuit of the Dutchman. There have been a lot of concerns regarding United’s transfer inactivity this summer. All their rivals have completed marquee signings while United looked to be running into a dead-end in every negotiation, be it for Jurrien Timber, Evanilson, or Christian Eriksen.

Why Is Erik Ten Hag Hell-bent On Signing Frenkie De Jong?

There was a growing concern that De Jong would reject a move to United due to the lack of Champions League football. However, it looks like that hasn’t stopped the new Manchester United manager from convincing his former player to join him in England. It has now come to a point where United are seriously in a good position to secure the signature of the Dutchman.

It’s not a big revelation that the midfield has been United’s weakest area on the pitch. The mere presence of the Dutch midfielder will solve a couple of problems. The current United midfielders, Scott McTominay and Fred, are not particularly intelligent enough to make Ten Hag’s style of football work all by themselves. De Jong’s awareness and view of the game are required and that easily makes him one of the best players to have for the manager.

Frenkie de Jong is astute at placing himself in the right area of midfield and receiving the ball. He is also very good at handling pressure and breaking the press. This will make it easier for the Red Devils to build from the back just the way Ten Hag likes it. Moreover, Frenkie’s best aspect is to carry the ball forward, something that the United midfield has lacked for quite some time.

To add to that, the Dutch manager knows the player inside out from their time at the Johan Cruyff Arena. Ten Hag and De Jong worked in harmony at Ajax as they reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in the 2018/19 campaign, something that the midfielder hasn’t been able to do with Barcelona.

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