Manchester United are preparing to make a bold move that could affect Barcelona by signing one of the most sought-after stars currently in Hansi Flick’s team.
These moves come in light of a precedent similar to Paris Saint-Germain’s signing of former Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele, who left Barcelona for free after refusing to renew his contract and settled in the French capital team.
According to information received from the newspaper El Nacional, rumors are circulating that Joan Laporta and Deco may face a repeat of this story, but this time with Frenkie de Jong, who is one of the main names on Erik ten Hag’s priority list.
The newspaper added that there was an almost complete agreement regarding his transfer in 2022, but Xavi Hernandez prevented that, considering him an indispensable player.
But things seem different now, as Barcelona seem ready to allow the player to leave, in light of his declining performance that is not in line with his high salary, and De Jong has been suffering from an ankle injury for five months, which has increased the club’s dissatisfaction with the player.
De Jong’s contract expires in 2026, and with renewal negotiations stalled, Manchester United are seeking to take advantage of the current situation to convince the player to move to the Premier League and this may be the last chance for Laporta and Deco to market the player before he leaves for free.
The newspaper concluded that the Dutch player apparently wants to leave for free and receive a huge signing bonus from Manchester, which prompted him to refuse to reduce his salary in order to renew his contract with Barcelona.
If the deal goes through, De Jong will not only meet Ten Hag, but will also meet a number of his former Ajax teammates, such as Andre Onana and Matthijs de Ligt, which could facilitate his move to Old Trafford.