De Jong nears Man Utd transfer as Chelsea ready late hijack attempt

Jacque Talbot

Updated: 23 May 2023 08:46 CDT
3 min read

Frenkie de Jong, Netherlands, 2022 — © ProShots

Frenkie de Jong still wants to move to Manchester United and there is confidence a deal can be struck with Barcelona, FootballTransfers understands.

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The Dutchman has become the centre of a saga made complicated by an outstanding €17 million in unpaid wages owed to him by the Catalans.

FootballTransfers has learned that Barcelona are willing to hand the player €3.5m but ask him to forgo the rest.

The move comes as a surprise given that the side can still spend money on buying more players whilst deferring owed wages to players.

In any case, Man Utd, Barcelona and De Jong all want to see a resolution and there is a feeling that a move will transpire, but there is still a slight hold-up with the unpaid wages.

The 25-year-old agreed to defer wage payments owing to the pandemic and Barcelona’s financial predicament but these are owed back and should be paid across the remainder of his contract, which ends in 2026.

We are also told there is no truth in Barcelona president Joan Laporta’s claims that De Jong is not for sale this summer.

© ProShots - Frenkie de Jong is owed a big sum in the wages he deferred

Chelsea seeking to hijack De Jong deal

Chelsea have a genuine interest in De Jong and there could be a more formal move in the coming days. However, given the impasse currently between Man Utd and Barca, it’s thought that any approach by the Blues could in fact force the Red Devils' hand in reaching an agreement sooner.

Thomas Tuchel's men do have the added benefit of being a London club and being in the Champions League, and while they do pose a threat, the general direction things seem to be headed is a deal with Man Utd.

As FootballTransfers reported last month, the fee of €65m has been agreed upon between Barcelona and Man Utd and it’s only the structure of the add-ons - around €19m - that are yet to be sorted.

The money Barcelona owe to the former Ajax player is what is making the deal take a little longer than normal, but there is still a general consensus between all three parties to see the move go over the line, with De Jong seen by Erik ten Hag as a primary target who he wishes to build the core of the side around.