Manchester United have been dealt yet another setback in their revived transfer pursuit of Frenkie de Jong to leave Erik ten Hag with a feeling of deja vu.
The Red Devils were heavily linked with the midfielder, 25, throughout the summer, when Barcelona were willing to let him depart and a deal was struck between the clubs. However, De Jong was unwilling to leave the destination of his dreams and stayed put, leaving Barca chiefs red-faced and claiming they never wanted to sell the Dutchman.
In a fresh twist in mid-December, it emerged that United are exploring the possibility of a second swoop for the former Ajax prodigy. Despite adding Christian Eriksen and Casemiro to his side's ranks over the summer, Ten Hag remains keen to strengthen his midfield.
However, in news that will come as no surprise given the winding nature of the De Jong transfer saga, Spanish outlet Sport claims the Camp Nou hierarchy view the player as 'indispensable' to their plans. Manager Xavi is loath to let him depart as he views him as the long-term successor to Sergio Busquets, who is out of contract next summer.
Further, Barca chiefs will not ask De Jong to take another salary cut despite such requests being commonplace in Catalonia in recent years to help the club address their dire financial predicament. This is in recognition of De Jong's standing in the squad and may have been influenced by the chaos salary cuts caused in the summer.
One of the main sticking points in negotiations over the midfielder earlier this year was the issue of unpaid wages. De Jong was believed to be owed £17million by his club which he had agreed to defer during the coronavirus pandemic.
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United were reportedly willing to pay this sum in order to get the transfer over the line but the player's preference to stay put ended their chances of doing so. Undeterred, the Red Devils have returned to try and sign De Jong in the January window, forcing Barcelona president Joan Laporta to issue a hands-off warning.
"In midfield, I have never wanted to sell Frenkie de Jong because he is one of the best players we have," Laporta said last week. .He is one of the great talents, young, and one of the leaders of the team."
De Jong has scored two goals in 17 appearances in all competitions this season, although he has not always been a mainstay in the starting XI. The Netherlands international has helped the Blaugrana go top of La Liga as they aim to wrest the title back from Real Madrid.
