Man Utd discover Frenkie de Jong price with Barcelona ‘happy to sell’ if demands met

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Manchester United could be forced to shell out a transfer fee in the region of £59million to bring Frenkie de Jong to Old Trafford this summer, according to reports. The Red Devils have been heavily linked with a move for De Jong over the last few weeks, with incoming boss Erik ten Hag said to be keen on snapping up the former Ajax man in advance of next season.

United are said to be on the lookout for a new first-choice holding midfielder and have reportedly identified De Jong as a potential target to replace Paul Pogba in the engine room on a long-term basis. However, they would need to meet Barcelona’s asking price of £59m to stand any chance of rubber-stamping a move for his services, according to El Chiringuito.

It is claimed that United are willing to firm up their interest in De Jong as part of Ten Hag’s expected summer rebuild upon his impending arrival from Ajax at the end of the season. The midfielder has emerged as one of Barcelona’s most important players under Xavi’s guidance but the Catalan giants would still be ‘happy to sell’ if their financial demands are met over the coming months.

De Jong played under Ten Hag during his time at Ajax before joining Barcelona in 2019 and would fit the profile at United, who are in desperate need of reinforcements ahead of next season. However, it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils will be prepared to stump up the cash in order to bring him to Manchester in the not-too-distant future.

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Barcelona still have De Jong tied down until the summer of 2026 and he remains a favourite of Xavi, who has transformed the club’s fortunes since taking over as manager back in November. The 42-year-old waxed lyrical over De Jong when quizzed on the player’s future earlier this month by insisting that he can become one of the world’s best midfielders if he continues to develop well over the next few years.

“Frenkie is very important for me, for the club and for the team,” said Xavi. “He is a footballer who has to mark an era with his quality and personality.

“He is at a very good level since I arrived and he has to continue scoring goals, assists, and being the protagonist in games. He could be one of the best midfielders in the world in the coming years.”

De Jong has registered 43 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions since the beginning of the season, chipping in with a total of four goals and five assists in the process. He played a major role in helping Ajax to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League final under Ten Hag’s guidance back in 2019 and is widely expected to start for the Netherlands at this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

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