Frenkie de Jong hasn't ruled out a Barcelona exit, according to reports on the continent, but the midfielder would prefer Bayern Munich to any Premier League club.
De Jong, 25, has previously described Barca as his "dream" club, but Manchester United continue to push for a move after agreeing financial terms with the Catalan side. The deal has reached an impasse, though, and the Dutchman has joined his teammates for their pre-season tour of the United States.
While United and Chelsea are the teams most strongly linked, Bayern could have the financial sway to steal a march. And, with De Jong's compatriot Matthijs de Ligt on the verge of signing, the Bavarian side could have another advantage.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, De Jong has ruled out a United move, while he would need 'a sensational offer' to consider joining Chelsea. This is in keeping with the same publication's suggestion that the Dutchman has never been keen on a move to England, explaining why Barca and Paris Saint-Germain were the frontrunners when he left Ajax in 2019.
De Ligt is still a Juventus player at the time of writing, but is expected to take a pay cut to join Bayern. The presence of the Netherlands international - as well as Bayern's genuine hope of Champions League success after adding Sadio Mane to their ranks - suggests a move for De Jong can't be ruled out.
Sport does note, however, that the Robert Lewandowski saga could complicate any move. The Polish international has agreed a switch from Bayern to Barcelona, but Barca chief Mateu Alemany is reportedly not on the best of terms with the Bundesliga champions owing to his role in that particular deal.
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While a move for De Jong remains in jeopardy, United are on the verge of completing a deal for Lisandro Martinez. The Argentine appears to be a midfield option for Erik ten Hag, who regularly used him in defence during their time together at Ajax.
United have also been linked to another Eredivisie star, PSV midfielder Ibrahim Sangare. However, links with the Ivorian have been dismissed as "nonsense" by Dutch media and the 24-year-old is reported to be closing in on a new deal with the Eindhoven club.
As for Chelsea, their owner Todd Boehly met with Barcelona president Joan Laporta earlier in July with De Jong's future among the topics discussed. Chelsea have already spent big this summer to bring Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly to Stamford Bridge, but have yet to add a new midfielder to their ranks as N'Golo Kante and Jorginho enter the final year of their deals.
