De Jong to Man Utd transfer saga will be 'different' this summer - Fabrizio Romano

Suraj Radia

• 27 Feb 2023 11:34 CST
• 2 min read

Manchester United will look to sign Frenkie de Jong again this summer after missing out on the Barcelona midfielder last year, however a move could be more complicated this time around.

United had agreed a fee in excess of £70 million for De Jong but the midfielder turned down the chance to move to Old Trafford, instead hoping to fight for his place at Barcelona, havibg been uncertain at joining a club in transition and lacking in Champions League football.

However, United have since excelled under Erik ten Hag, winning their first trophy in six years and knocking out Barcelona in the Europa League after the Catalan outfit had dropped into the competition following their Champions League exit.

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De Jong is thought to be more open to a move to this summer but transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano told The United Stand that the situation has changed, with Barcelona now seeing the Dutchman as a ‘crucial’ player who they do not wish to sell.

Romano said: “As of now the message from Barcelona is completely different from one year ago when they were open to letting the player go but he wanted to stay for personal reasons and because he loves the club.

“Barca feel De Jong is a crucial player for them, mostly because Sergio Busquets is out of contract in the summer and has not decided if he wants to stay. Xavi also trusts De Jong as a starter so I don’t see it as an easy deal, but it is still early.”

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De Jong was considered expendable by Barcelona as his high value would allow them to raise money for more transfers, despite manager Xavi insisting the 25-year-old was an integral part of their team.

Barca are believed to owe De Jong a significant amount of money in deferred wages and he was reluctant to leave without being paid, while also seeing the La Liga side as his dream club.

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However, the club have yet to resolve their financial issues due to their ballooning wage bill and they may need to sell players again this summer, a situation which Romano believes could see Barca’s stance on De Jong change.

He said: “A crucial part is also about financial fair play, to understand if Barcelona need to sell some players in the summer and who they may sell, so I would keep an open mind because things can always change quickly.”