Sky Sports have claimed that Manchester United could walk away from a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
The Lowdown: De Jong now keen on a move?
The Red Devils want to make the 25-year-old their first major summer signing but have had an opening offer of €60m (£51.2m) plus €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons rejected.
Erik ten Hag has reportedly persuaded De Jong to make the move to Old Trafford, so it looks as if United just need to agree on a fee. That appears to be the major stumbling block in regards to a transfer, though, and Sky Sports have now provided an update live on air.
The Latest: Sky Sports update
Sky Sports relayed some on-air news regarding United and De Jong on Saturday afternoon.
They outlined: “We’ve been told that Manchester United will walk away from a deal for Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong if they can’t agree what they feel is a reasonable fee for the midfielder.”
They added that “talks are ongoing”, although both clubs are still apart when it comes to a valuation.
The Verdict: Need to be quick
De Jong has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford ever since Ten Hag was announced as manager at the end of April.
Seven weeks on, a transfer still hasn’t been agreed upon, so United may have to set a deadline when it comes to their pursuit of the Dutch midfielder before moving on to alternative targets.
[freshpress-quiz id=”398302″]
Ten Hag is rather short of midfield options after it was announced that Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata will all leave; and with time ticking, United chiefs need to get the ball rolling with a number of signings if they are to be adequately stocked for the start of the 2022/23 campaign.
In other news – Fabrizio Romano: Man Utd and Ten Hag are now in ‘new’ talks for ‘huge talent’ as well as De Jong
