It is understood that Barcelona’s hierarchy have informed De Jong that they must sell him to balance their exorbitant wages, which has led to complications in registering new signings such as Rafinha. Barcelona are trying to convince De Jong that a move to United would be the best move for his career and while they believe he is a talented player, they have come down to a decision related to finance rather than sport. It is currently unclear whether De Jong will travel with the Barcelona squad on their pre-season tour of the US. Athletic reported earlier today that United have agreed to pay Barcelona a guaranteed fee of €75m (£63m; $75m) for De Jong and that they could also pay €10m (£8.47m) in add-ons , $10 million). It is thought that Barcelona believe United’s offer is a large sum and would prefer a quick sale as they know it won’t be around forever. However, the situation is also complicated by Barcelona owing De Jong a deferred salary payment of €17 million which is still delaying the deal. United sent a delegation to Barcelona to hold face-to-face talks over De Jong’s signature, leading to a breakthrough in transfer fees. Barcelona signed De Jong from Ajax for £86m in 2019 and he has since made nearly 100 league appearances for the Catalan club. However, Barcelona’s financial situation has meant that De Jong’s future hangs in the balance, with £1bn of debt and tight controls on recruitment and spending. Under Ten Hag, De Jong was one of the shining stars in the Ajax side that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2018-19, beating the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus to reach the latter stages of the competition. So far this window, United have signed Feyenoord left-back Tyrell Malaysia. Christian Eriksen is expected to join, while they are also closing in on a deal for Lisandro Martinez. (Photo: Getty Images)
