Manchester United ‘hoping to sign Frenkie de Jong over the next week’
Manchester United are reportedly hopeful of finally concluding a deal for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong over the next seven days.
The 20-time English champions have been strongly linked with the Netherlands international since the end of May, with the club’s new head coach Erik ten Hag believed to have identified the midfielder as his number one target in the summer market.
Man United have thus far been frustrated in their attempts to sign the 25-year-old, while there have been claims that Chelsea are now at the head of the queue for his services.
However, according to De Telegraaf, the Red Devils are still pushing for the central midfielder and are looking to secure his signature within the next seven days.
Dutch journalist Marcel van der Kraan reported the news on his podcast, with the former Ajax youngster still said to be Man United’s leading target in the remainder of the transfer window.
Man United are believed to have come to an agreement with Barcelona over a €85m (£71.5m) deal, although the La Liga club have since said on a number of occasions that is not the case.
The Red Devils have made three signings during the summer window, bringing in Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez, but they are still chasing a new forward, while deals for De Jong and Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot could also occur before the deadline.
The team’s failure to secure Champions League football for the 2022-23 campaign is believed to be a huge problem when it comes to convincing De Jong to make the move, while there have also been suggestions that the midfielder is reluctant to live in Manchester.
De Jong has been heavily involved in Barcelona’s preparations for the new season, and he has been named in the squad for Saturday’s 2022-23 La Liga opener with Rayo Vallecano.
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