Barcelona have confirmed that Frenkie de Jong has received offers to leave the Nou Camp but is continuing to refuse to join Manchester United.
The Netherlands international has been the Red Devils' top target for the summer window but a deal has been stalling over his lack of desire to move to Old Trafford. Barca are desperate to sell him as they look to relieve their financial problems, which is currently preventing them from registering their new signings.
De Jong is one of their highest earners, though had taken a wage deferral to help the La Liga giants through the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, Barcelona are trying to move him on, with United the frontrunners to seal a deal for the 25-year-old.
United have already agreed a £71million fee with the Catalan giants for De Jong, but the move is still yet to be completed. The reason behind that is thought to be De Jong's doubts over joining the Red Devils, despite the presence of his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.
And that is a stance that the Dutchman appears to be holding firm on, if Barca president Joan Laporta's latest comments are anything to go by. Laporta confirmed that the player had received offers to leave, but remains keen to stay at the Nou Camp.
“Frenkie De Jong is a Barca player of great quality and we want him to stay. With him and his teammates, we have a very powerful midfield. He has offers, but we want him to stay and he wants to stay too,” Laporta said.
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It appears to be another blow to Ten Hag, who saw United fall to a dreadful defeat to Brighton in his first Premier League game in charge. Following that defeat, club legend Gary Neville blasted transfer chiefs at Old Trafford and insisted that even if they do finally complete a deal for De Jong, this summer cannot be considered successful.
"There would seem to be this feeling that if Manchester United get Frenkie de Jong, it would have been a successful window. No. They needed a lot more than Frenkie de Jong. They might not get Frenkie de Jong, hopefully they do," he told Sky Sports.
"He's an important player to the coach. But then that would feel like 'oh they've spent £70m, that's a good window'. No, they needed more than that. There will be a bit of panic. They shouldn't do but there will be that little bit of panic because the pressure will be be big from the fans, from the media.
"The people above him should’ve known that was an unacceptable situation to hand Erik ten Hag that squad at the start of the season and it needed improving more than it has been already.
"Obviously there’s two or three weeks to go in the transfer window but he needed three or four weeks to work with them. I’m sure there’s an element that every new coach that comes in thinks they can do better with the players than the last coach because they believe they’re a better coach. But the reality is he’s seen what those players are."
