Manchester United have reached an agreement with Barcelona over a potential move for Frenkie De Jong.
The Dutchman was earmarked as a key target by Erik Ten Hag – who worked him with at Ajax – when the 51-year-old ended his contract in the Dutch capital early and began planning for his first season in charge back in May.
During a meeting with Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali in the Catalan city, Barca encouraged a bid for the midfielder, although it is United who have found an agreement with their La Liga counterparts.
United have agreed to pay Barcelona 75 million euros (roughly £63.4million) plus another potential 10 million euros (£8.4m) in variables for the 25-year-old De Jong, according to a club official who spoke under condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly about the deal.
De Jong, who is under contact with Barcelona through June 2026, would still need to agree to the transfer to the English Premier League side. So far, he is reportedly reluctant to leave Camp Nou.
But the Barcelona official with knowledge of the agreement said coach Xavi Hernandez has told De Jong that he will not be a key part of his squad. Barcelona would prefer for a definite deal to be reached immediately before the team leaves on Saturday for a preseason tour in the United States.
Barcelona has been working to reduce their payroll as it seeks to reduce its debt. De Jong’s salary, the club official said, was no longer in line with its new financial priorities.
Additional reporting from AP
