Man United continue to hold talks about deal to sign FC Barcelona star Frenkie De Jong - report
Manchester United are still keen to sign Frenkie De Jong from FC Barcelona but will not pay over the odds for his signature, says report
Manchester United are continuing to hold talks with FC Barcelona over a deal to sign Frenkie De Jong – but the Red Devils are also keeping their options open with other midfield targets still in their sights, according to a report in the British media.
The Manchester Evening News is reporting that the Red Devils are keeping communication channels open with “other midfield targets” as they continue to hold talks with FC Barcelona over a move for Dutch midfielder De Jong.
De Jong has been widely reported to be one of the main targets for Erik ten Hag’s rebuild at Old Trafford in recent days as the Dutchman sets about adding to his team ahead of his first season in charge.
However, it’s reported in the same story that FC Barcelona and Manchester United are still some way apart in their valuation of De Jong as the Red Devils attempt to try and strike a deal.
According to the article, De Jong is seen as Ten Hag’s “top target” to bolster Manchester United’s midfield this summer, with the likes of Juan Mata, Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic all set to leave the club on free transfers.
The player himself, according to the story, would be open to a move to Old Trafford despite the Red Devils not competing in the Champions League next season.
Manchester United continue to hold talks with FC Barcelona about a move for De Jong, but the club are “adamant” that they will not overpay for the 25-year-old and are keeping their options open as a result.
The club are said to have held talks with representatives of other midfield targets in recent weeks in case they are not able to strike a deal for De Jong.
Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips and Ajax’s Ryan Gravenberch are two potential other options for United, but those moves could prove to be tricky, according to the report.
De Jong gave nothing away when quizzed about his future over the weekend as the midfielder continues to be linked with a move to Manchester United this summer.
Asked if he is set to swap the beaches in Catalonia for the cold in Manchester, De Jong laughed and replied: “No… I can’t say anything.”
