Former Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has claimed he has spoken to Frenkie de Jong and believes the player wants to stay at the Catalan club.
United have an initial transfer fee agreed with Barcelona with the value of £56.2million to sign the midfielder this summer. Reports claim the player has already cleared out his locker at Barca with a move to Old Trafford appearing to be edging closer. New United boss Erik ten Hag coached the midfielder at Ajax and held a phone call to convince the player that he should join his project at Old Trafford.
De Jong was informed that he would be the 'conductor of the orchestra' and would be an undisputed starter under Ten Hag – a similar role to the one he enjoyed so much in Amsterdam. Yet the deal has become protracted and dragged out over several months.
The Dutchman’s potential exit from Camp Nou this summer was complicated further as it emerged that Barca owe the player significant payments that had been deferred from previous campaigns. The Catalan club would need to shell out an eye-watering £34.5million to the Dutchman next year as stipulated by his contract.
De Jong’s former national team and Barca boss Koeman has now spoken on the player’s future and has poured cold water on the suggestions that the Catalan club may be tempted to cash in on the player this year. Koeman – who will return to the Netherlands national team position to replace Louis van Gaal after this year’s World Cup – believes De Jong wants to remain at Barca beyond this summer.
Koeman – speaking at the Koeman Cup golf tournament in Sant Esteve de Sesrovires – reiterated that he had "a lot of contact" with the midfielder before adding: "I know the situation of Frenkie and he said it himself the other day, he wants to stay. It was his intention to stay at Barcelona and nothing else. That is the only thing I know."
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De Jong himself has even stated that his first choice is to remain with his "dream club" in Catalunya, telling ESPN during the international break last month: "What I'm saying, there is absolutely nothing of an agreement or anything official. At the moment there is no question of it at all – not that I know of in any case. Or they must not have told me, but I don't think so.
The ex- Ajax prodigy affirmed: "I prefer to stay with Barcelona. Barcelona is just my dream club. Also from a young age, I just said it, too. I've never regretted my choice despite the fact that I had hoped for more in terms of prizes than I've achieved so far. But I have never regretted my choice."
United are keen to wrap up a deal for De Jong as soon as possible, but any deal will come too late for the club's pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia. Ten Hag hopes to install his style of play into the team throughout July and be ready for their Premier League curtain-raiser at home to Brighton on Sunday, August 7.
