Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong interested in joining Premier League rivals rather than Manchester United - Reports

According to Sport, Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong would rather join Chelsea than Manchester United.

The Red Devils have been involved in a long-drawn out transfer saga for the Barcelona midfielder. The Red Devils are looking for a deep-lying playmaker this summer and have identified De Jong as their prime target.

They are understood to have agreed a deal with Barcelona but the midfielder wants to stay at the Spanish club.

However, if Barcelona do force him out, De Jong is keen on moving to a Champions League club, which United aren't. He also doesn't like how the Red Devils have been operating in recent years and the city of Manchester.

Hence, if he does move, De Jong would prefer to move to Bayern Munich. However, given that he has offers from the Premier League, he would prefer to play for Chelsea rather than Manchester United.

The Blues are set to compete for major trophies next season, including the Champions League and De Jong would prefer to move to London as well.

---

Manchester United need to end Frenkie de Jong saga soon

Manchester United have been chasing Frenkie de Jong's signature for a while now. However, going after a player who does not want a move does not seem to be the most sensible option for the club.

They need to bring a quick conclusion to their chase for the Dutchman, with the new season quickly approaching.

The Red Devils have reportedly identified alternatives in the form of Youri Tielemans and Ruben Neves as well.

The transfer window started slowly for the Red Devils but has picked up pace in recent weeks. They signed left-back Tyrell Malacia, midfielder Christian Eriksen and defender Lisandro Martinez.

However, a central midfielder is perhaps still an absolute priority this summer. If the De Jong deal fails to go through, the Red Devils might find themselves short on time to sign another player.

Barcelona's financial situation means that they could have to sell De Jong this summer. However, club president Joan Laporta has denied this, saying (via Fabrizio Romano):

“It’s not true that we are forced to sell Frenkie de Jong, this is not correct."

It will be interesting to see how this saga pans out, but one would think that the Red Devils need to make a decision soon.