De Jong to Man Utd: Barcelona will price Frenkie out of a transfer
Robin Bairner
- 15 Jun 2022 10:14 BST
- 3 min read
Frenkie de Jong’s transfer to Manchester United has been put in doubt by Barcelona hiking their asking price for the place up to €100 million, according to a report from ESPN.
De Jong has long been linked with a move to Old Trafford, where former Ajax mentor Erik ten Hag is now the manager.
A deal looked likely to be stuck around the €60m mark, but now it is suggested that Barca are seeking upwards of 50% more than that in order to let go of the Netherlands international midfielder.
Their asking price, Man Utd suspect, is not to do with any genuine valuation of the player but simply trying to solve their financial problems with the summer in just one deal. Given the lack of other viable sellable alternatives in their squad, that suspicion certainly has a good degree of logic behind it.
Nevertheless, it is the latest chapter in a tug of war between two clubs who have struggled for a coherent transfer policy in recent years.
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What should Man Utd pay for De Jong?
At such a price, Man Utd would be well advised to walk away – De Jong is valued at €64m by FootballTransfers – because they are the club in the position of strength in this situation. After all, there are alternative midfielders to the 25-year-old, many of whom will be available at a far more reasonable price than €100m.
Barcelona’s posturing is a brave stance, but that does not mean it is a solid one. Throughout Joan Laporta’s second spell as club president, he has sought to portray the club as being in a stronger position than it is. The reality for the Catalans is that this is a deal that must be made.
Negotiations over De Jong’s transfer are clearly in a delicate spot, but that suits Man Utd far more than it does Barcelona.
