Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has admitted that he did have a 'situation' with club president Joan Laporta last summer amid Manchester United's plan to bring him to Old Trafford.
United manager Erik ten Hag, fresh from being appointed, identified De Jong as his top target to strengthen the Reds' midfield options last May and it marked the beginning of a transfer saga that lasted more than 100 days. United, as revealed by the Manchester Evening News at the time, agreed a deal with Barcelona to sign the Dutchman at the end of June, meaning they were confident of landing the Netherlands international.
However, the deal broke down as a result of a dispute over unpaid wages at the Barcelona end. It was understood that De Jong was owed €17million dating back to November 2020 when Barcelona's players agreed to a wage deferral to ease the financial strain caused by Covid-19.
