Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed they need to register their new signings by August 13, giving Manchester United a boost in their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong.
The Red Devils have made a breakthrough in their of the 25-year-old midfielder, after months of chasing his signature. The Dutchman is one of Erik ten Hag's primary transfer targets after coaching him during his successful four-and-a-half-year spell at Ajax.
Barcelona have made a number of signings this summer - including Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde - but have not registered all of them ahead of the new season for financial reasons. As per La Liga rules, they must free up their budget first before they can do so.
De Jong is arguably Laporta's best chance of doing so. Barcelona manager Xavi already has several central midfielders at his disposal - such as Gavi, Pedri, Franck Kessie and Sergio Busquets - and a sale would see one of their highest earners leave the Camp Nou.
"We are doing everything possible to register the signings," Laporta recently told reporters. "We have to do it before August 13."
The president also said he was "optimistic" all of Barcelona's summer signings would be registered before the deadline, adding: "Let's hop that the league sees it that way too."
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Laporta's comments suggest a deal for De Jong could be completed soon. As well as getting his wages off their books, Barcelona would also get a huge chunk of cash. It's believed the two clubs have agreed an initial £56.2million fee, which could rise to £72m.
The biggest sticking point is De Jong's deferred wages. It's believed Barcelona owe De Jong £17m in payments and other clauses. The Spanish club are reportedly struggling to afford this, despite making several expensive signings this summer.
The midfielder also reportedly wants to stay at the Camp Nou, yet Barcelona want him to either leave or take a pay cut. Neither of those options are that appealing, causing a stalemate in the saga.
The idea of United assuming liability for these payments has been mooted, although the legality of this is questionable. De Jong may have to write off the £17m owed to him if he's to secure a move to Old Trafford. The situation is complex, to say the least.
Barcelona's summer signings include Lewandowski, Kessie, Raphinha, Kounde, Andreas Christensen and Pablo Torre, spending more than £130m in transfer fees. Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta is also on their shopping list. United, meanwhile, have made three signings so far this summer - Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez.
Xavi was quizzed on De Jong's future after Barcelona's 2-0 win against New York Red Bulls on Sunday. "I don’t know if he’s going to stay, there’s still time and a lot of things can still happen," he admitted. "At the moment he’s part of the team, like everyone else."
