Frenkie de Jong: Man Utd ‘fail with new £56m offer after falling short of Barcelona’s asking price’

Barcelona ‘reject Manchester United’s improved £56m offer for Frenkie de Jong’ as it still falls below the Spanish club’s valuation… with Nou Camp chiefs ‘looking to recoup the £65m they spent to sign him from Ajax’

  • Manchester United are still yet to agree a fee with Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong
  • New Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag wants to reunite with the player this summer
  • Reports in Spain suggest United recently increased their offer to £56million
  • However, Barca have made it clear they will only sell De Jong for £65million
  • The Spanish outfit are keen to recoup the fee they spent on him back in 2019

Manchester United are still falling short of Barcelona’s asking price for Frenkie de Jong despite increasing their latest offer to £56million, according to reports in Spain.

De Jong has emerged as one of United’s top transfer targets this summer, with new boss Erik ten Hag keen to bring the former Ajax midfielder to Old Trafford.

Red Devils CEO Richard Arnold recently confirmed the club’s plans to sign him in a secretly-recorded conversation with supporters in a Cheshire pub, where he insisted money is ‘not a consideration’ as they go about bolstering Ten Hag’s squad.

Manchester United are still falling short of Barcelona’s asking price for Frenkie de Jong

Though according to Spanish publication Marca, United are still yet to reach an agreement with Barca after seeing their latest £56million offer rejected.

Arnold and Co are said to have first come up short with an offer of £51million plus £17million in add-ons, before increasing their bid to £56million outright.

However, Barca are looking to recoup the £65million they paid to sign De Jong from Ajax in 2019 upfront, meaning United are still £8million short of their valuation.

The Spanish club are currently dealing with financial problems behind the scenes, meaning they are open to a sale for the right price.

Erik ten Hag has pinpointed his former player as a top target at Old Trafford this summer

Erik ten Hag has pinpointed his former player as a top target at Old Trafford this summer

Ten Hag and De Jong previously worked together at Ajax, winning the Dutch title in 2018/19

Ten Hag and De Jong previously worked together at Ajax, winning the Dutch title in 2018/19

United, aware of those economic constraints, have been trying to drive the price down as much as possible, but despite their woes Barca are in no hurry to sell.

It is believed offloading De Jong will not have any impact on their reported pursuit of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, nor their requirement to fall within Spain’s Financial Fair Play regulation of spending 70 per cent of their overall income.

As a result, they are still holding out for United to meet their £65million valuation in full before allowing them to enter discussions with the player and his representatives.

But United are falling short of Barca's £65million asking price, which the Spanish club are looking to recoup after paying it to sign De Jong in 2019

But United are falling short of Barca’s £65million asking price, which the Spanish club are looking to recoup after paying it to sign De Jong in 2019

De Jong, who still has four years to run on his contract at the Nou Camp, has made 140 appearances for Barca, scoring 13 goals and winning the Copa del Rey.

He previously worked alongside Ten Hag at Ajax, where they claimed the Dutch title and came within seconds of reaching the Champions League final in 2019.

The 25-year-old is not the only player on Ten Hag’s radar, nevertheless, as reports suggest United are also closing in on the signing of current Ajax winger Antony. 

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