Barcelona have told Frenkie de Jong they would like him to stay, but only if he takes a significant pay cut and accepts a £6m deal for his deferred wages. Despite being Manchester United’s main transfer target for most of the summer, the Dutchman has started to attract a lot of interest from Chelsea with Thomas Tuchel set to add to their midfield.
The Red Devils have publicly chased the Netherlands international all summer with Erik ten Hag desperate to reunite with his former Ajax prodigy. United accepted a bid of around £72m for the player’s services but the deal did not go ahead with the player reluctant to leave Camp Nou as his current employers owed him more than £17m free.
De Jong was also believed to be uninterested in a move to Old Trafford given the club’s current performance struggles. That eventually caught the eye of Chelsea, who are said to be ready to match the 20-time Premier League winners’ bid for the midfielder. The London club may be a more attractive proposition than their English rivals given their ability to deliver 25-year-old Champions League football.
However, Barcelona have played their part to keep the 44-time international at the club. Sky report that the Catalan giants want to keep De Jong at the club, but only if he takes a substantial pay cut and accepts a £6m settlement for his deferred wages.
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De Jong’s agents were said to be in Barcelona on Wednesday to try to find a solution over the player’s future. The League runners-up are in dire financial straits after plunging £1bn into debt and face a struggle to sign new signings for next season as a result.
The former Ajax man is believed to be one of the club’s highest earners, giving Joan Laporta new impetus to sort out his future. Reducing or eliminating the player’s salary is one of the fastest ways that the club can begin to solve their priority problems.
Barcelona coach Xavi has also confirmed that he would like to keep the player at the club, but appreciates the difficult financial situation.
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“I don’t send messages, I’ve spoken to him,” the Spaniard said after their recent pre-season win over Real Madrid. “I value him a lot, for me he is a fundamental footballer. But then there is the economic situation and the clean game. He can give us a lot in the central. [midfield]I like it in this position.”
Meanwhile, reports on Wednesday night claimed Chelsea were “confident” of signing De Jong. Barcelona may not have to sell him after all to register their new signings, but it is claimed from Spain that the club have told Xavi that they will have all the new faces registered to play in La Liga on Saturday.