Manchester United report: Frenkie de Jong deal looking unlikely – thanks to two reasons

Manchester United face an uphill battle to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this summer, say reports, despite new boss Erik ten Hag wanting a reunion with the former Ajax player. 

The Dutchman is on United’s radar after Ten Hag made it clear in a meeting with the Old Trafford hierarchy last week that he’s a fan of the playmaker. 

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who adds that a move could be difficult to achieve due to De Jong’s desire to play in the Champions League next season and Barcelona’s likely €80-85 million (£68-72m) price tag.  

United will be playing Europa League football at best next term, as they sit in sixth place going into the final round of Premier League games. 

However, De Jong and Ten Hag had a good relationship when they worked together at Ajax between 2017 and 2019, and Barca could yet have to sell players to ease their financial situation.

The Catalan club’s coach Xavi Hernandez responded to the transfer rumours on Saturday and admitted that De Jong’s future could come down to economics.

“He's a fundamental player, but then there is the financial situation of the club,” Xavi said. "Not just with Frenkie, I mean in general. He's a player I like a lot, but we'll see how the situation is."

Ten Hag’s impending arrival at Old Trafford to replace Ralf Rangnick has sparked much speculation about incoming players.

However, Romano says that the club are keen to come to a decision over the future of some players already at the club too, in particular Marcus Rashford, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Eric Bailly.

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Manchester United have been linked with a vast array of talents ever since Erik ten Hag was confirmed as manager – while Paul Pogba has been linked with rivals Manchester City.

Rumours persist that Benfica forward Darwin Nunez may well be bought, too, while Frenkie de Jong is an apparent target for Ten Hag following their time together at Ajax. Brentford midfielder Christian Eriksen is another player being talked about in relation to a move.

It's not all incomings at Old Trafford, either: one report lists the rumoured departure list out of Manchester. Paul Scholes, meanwhile, has been sharing how much of a disaster the current dressing room is from his chats with Jesse Lingard.