Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United is ‘back on’ following new Barcelona decision

Manchester United may be able to sign Frenkie de Jong this summer, two seasons after Erik ten Hag’s ideal transfer fell through due to personal terms.

Manchester United and Frenkie de Jong, 26, are two phrases that became synonymous with many people’s transfer searches. In the summer of 2022, the Old Trafford club chased the midfielder for an entire summer, but to no avail.

De Jong was Erik ten Hag‘s No. 1 target during his first summer in charge. The Dutch manager saw De Jong as an essential part of his plan to breathe new life into the club.

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However, although United agreed a deal with Barcelona for a fee of around £63 million plus a further £8.47 million in add-ons, the deal collapsed once the player himself made it clear that he had no intention of leaving the Catalan club.

A second chance

According to information from BarcaUniversal, United have a second chance at securing his signature. Barcelona are considering selling him, and the Old Trafford club are interested.

Previous reports have stated that, should De Jong not accept a reduced salary, they would be open to cashing in on the player this summer. His current contract expires in 2026, meaning that this coming summer may be the final summer when they can still command a significant transfer fee.

Fabrizio Romano has previously stated that Barcelona would only accept a minimum fee of around £60 million for the 26-year-old. He also explained that De Jong still wants to stay at Barcelnoa.

Double competition

United aren’t the only side that is interested in signing the Netherlands international.

The aforementioned report also claims that, alongside United, both Manchester City and Bayern Munich are eyeing up a move for the player this coming transfer window.

Whether INEOS decide to commit £60 million of their summer budget remains to be seen, but Casemiro, the man who was signed as a second-choice two summers ago, might be heading out the door this summer, meaning a new midfielder may become a priority.