Manchester United chief executive Richard Arnold has decided to scrap his plan to stay out of the club’s transfer business despite his promise to the club’s supporters.
The United chief, along with director of football John Murtough, has flown to Barcelona for face-to-face talks with their Catalan counterparts as negotiations for Frankie de Jong drag on. The Red Devils are desperate to land the 25-year-old, who is Erik ten Hag’s top target this summer.
It is believed United and Barca had agreed a deal in principle for £56million up front, with add-ons taking the deal to around £78m. However, delays over the final details being ironed out have forced Arnold into action after jetting off to Catalonia on Monday.
Talks reached an impasse after it emerged the Dutch midfielder is owed around €20m (£17m) in unpaid wages, which the midfielder agreed to defer due to the club’s financial plight during the covid pandemic.
It marks a surprising U-turn from the Red Devils’ supremo, who made a deliberate point of trying to prove he would be keeping his involvement in transfer dealings to a minimum. In a conversation with United fans in a local pub that was secretly recorded, Arnold insisted that he would be encouraging Murtough to spend the funds available to him to give Ten Hag the players he wants.
“For this summer, the money the manager [Erik ten Hag] and director of football [John Murtough] wants is there […] and this is the bit where, what’s my job as CEO, I make sure John does his job on football. Get some f***ing players in. Money’s there, OK? Get on with it John,” he said.
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"Money is not a consideration on who we want. The manager wants him [De Jong] and they have actually done the work. He's a great player. Is it 100 or 200 [million]? I don't know. Get who you f***ing want. Do you want me buying the players? Does that not ring a bell?"
His indirect reference to predecessor Ed Woodward, who often came under fire for struggling to push through key transfers, explains why he preferred to take a backseat role and chose to appoint Murtough into the role earlier this year.
But issues over the lack of progress on the deal to capture De Jong, especially with United flying to Asia for their pre-season tour, have forced him to intervene. United fans are growing increasingly frustrated with the club’s inability to make signings this summer, with Tyrell Malacia — a £13m arrival from Feyenoord — the only new face to join Ten Hag’s squad.
Cristiano Ronaldo has also privately voiced his dissatisfaction with United’s failure to strengthen and it is understood to be a reason behind his desire to leave the club this summer.
Arnold and Murtough have also been forced to act after Chelsea owner Todd Boehly was pictured arriving for talks with Barcelona president Joan Laporta last week to discuss several possible deals.
It is believed the Blues are keen to swoop for De Jong if United fail to land the midfielder and that may have been the deciding factor in convincing Arnold to step in. But now that the 51-year-old has become involved in those discussions, he risks taking the blame should De Jong’s proposed switch collapse.
