Man Utd have made an offer to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports.
The Red Devils are having a bad time of it in the Premier League this season with Man Utd currently 14th in the table after replacing Erik ten Hag with Ruben Amorim in November.
Results and performances under Amorim have actually been worse than under Ten Hag and there are rumours that there could be a large turnover of players at Man Utd in the summer transfer window.
Ten Hag was known for buying a number of players who had played under him at Ajax with Andre Onana, Matthijs De Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, Antony and Noussair Mazraoui all signing.
Netherlands internationals Joshua Zirkzee and Tyrell Malacia were also signed by Ten Hag and there were rumours throughout his tenure that he wanted to sign another compatriot in the form of Barcelona midfielder De Jong.
However, a move for De Jong never materialised because the Dutchman made it clear that he wanted to remain at the Camp Nou with Man Utd struggling to attract the top players to Old Trafford.
A previous report in December described De Jong as a ‘hot potato’ at the Camp Nou with the Barcelona’s future always up in the air after making just four La Liga starts under Hansi Flick this term.
And now Spanish website Fichajes have claimed that Barcelona have ‘refused to sell’ De Jong to Man Utd after the Red Devils ‘put an offer of €65m (£55m) on the table with the intention of securing the midfielder’s services in the upcoming transfer window’.
MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Man Utd shamed five ranked on Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s chances of ‘moving’ them on this summer…
👉 Man Utd learn Marcus Rashford ‘pay-off’ issue with Aston Villa star ‘set for cut-price’ summer transfer
👉 ‘Shocked’ Man Utd star ‘takes offence’ at Ratcliffe interview as club chiefs ‘realise only’ transfer option
Many of the noises coming out of the Camp Nou in recent months have suggested that Barcelona were happy to sell De Jong for the right price in the summer.
However, Barca ‘believes the player remains fundamental to the club’s sporting project, and therefore their priority is to extend his contract’, which comes to an end in the summer of 2026.
The report adds:
‘Manchester United, for their part, have made no secret of their desire to sign the talented midfielder. They have already attempted to sign him in the past without success, and now they are back in the game, hoping that Barcelona’s delicate financial situation will facilitate a deal.
‘However, the Catalan club remains firm in its position: Frenkie de Jong is not for sale, at least not for the amount offered so far.
‘The midfielder’s future remains up in the air and will largely depend on the negotiations for his renewal. If a deal doesn’t materialize in the coming months, Barcelona could be forced to reconsider its position and consider new offers for the Dutchman, who remains one of the most coveted players on the market.’
