Manchester United are set to finally admit defeat in their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong following a summer-long transfer saga.
De Jong had been Erik ten Hag 's top target for the summer window, with Barcelona keen to move him off their wage bill. But the Dutchman has been unwilling to move to Old Trafford and instead wants to stay with the La Liga giants.
Despite the deal stalling, Ten Hag has not given up the chase for the 25-year-old. Midfield is one of the major areas of weakness in Ten Hag's squad, with starting pair Fred and Scott McTominay coming in for strong criticism following the defeat to Brighton on Sunday.
United were understood to have already agreed a fee in the region of £70million with Barca. But with De Jong continuing to refuse to agree to personal terms, United are ready to reluctantly give up on the Netherlands international.
That is according to the Daily Mail, who report that a 'frustrated' Ten Hag has 'resigned himself' to missing out on his top target. While the Red Devils were 'confident' they could secure De Jong, there is now a growing sense that he will not in fact be joining.
While they are not totally giving up hope, the chances of seeing De Jong in a United shirt are described as 'hanging by a thread'. With De Jong appearing to be out of reach, United are already pursuing alternatives, in the form of Adrien Rabiot.
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Even if they do sign Rabiot, the failure to bring in De Jong is a massive blow to Ten Hag, who was given an insight into just how much work he has to do as his side were beaten by Brighton. De Jong was seen as a priority by Ten Hag, who is said to believe he would have been crucial to the style of play he wishes to implement.
It is also claimed that United have been left so surprised that a move for De Jong has not worked out that Ten Hag thought he did not need to draw up a list of alternative options. But as the summer progressed, De Jong's reluctance to link back up with Ten Hag became clear to see.
The question of who pays the wages he is owed by Barca was another major stumbling block. While United are said to have been willing to pay a percentage of that, Barca were unable to come to an agreement with De Jong.
In what would be the ultimate bodyblow to Ten Hag, Chelsea are now considering launching their own bid for him. According to the Mail, a move to Stamford Bridge is thought to be more likely to happen than the botched deal with United.
Unlike the Red Devils, the Blues can offer the 25-year-old the chance to continue playing in the Champions League. Ten Hag meanwhile will lead United into the Europa League, with the Red Devils having only been able to secure a sixth place finish in the Premier League last season.
