Rumor: De Jong open to United move, club begins talks

Manchester United are reportedly closer to signing Frenkie de Jong this summer. Reports have emerged that the Netherlands international has given the ‘green light’ for the move, leaving Barcelona after three seasons.

Reports from the Daily Mail hinted that the 25-year-old was now ‘fully open to joining’ United. However, the fee for the player still needs to be agreed by the two clubs with Barcelona seeking a £65 million fee, according to the reports.

Over the past few weeks, it had been suggested that De Jong was Erik ten Hag’s key target this summer for him to stage a revolution at the Old Trafford club, following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjær in November 2021 and Ralf Rangnick at the end of the season.

De Jong now wants to join United this summer with the club accelerating its attempts to sign the 25-year-old. According to the Telegraph the idea of working with ten Hag again in a system that suits him has appealed to him.

It is also stated that United have already made an offer for the Dutchman, however, there is no agreement between the two clubs.

That would seem to be a minor event though considering the parameters of this deal – the fact that Barcelona have a bad financial situation, the player now being happy to leave the Catalan club and join United and the two teams not all that far apart in reading an amicable deal.

If the transfer gets completed, it would see a reunion between De Jong and Ten Hag from their time at Ajax with the Dutch manager taking over at the club in December 2017, although the midfielder left the club for Barcelona in the summer of 2019.