Fabrizio Romano reveals 'key point' in Manchester United's pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed an agreement on personal terms with priority target Frenkie de Jong will be 'key' for Manchester United in the overly stretched transfer saga.

Having lost Juan Mata, Paul Pogba, and Nemanja Matic this summer, Manchester United are looking to reinforce their midfield ahead of the 2022-23 season. New manager Erik ten Hag is apparently keen to reunite with his former pupil De Jong, who joined the Blaugrana from Ajax in 2019.

Despite the Dutchman being an important part of Barca's midfield, the Catalan giants are reportedly prepared to let him go for the right price due to their ongoing financial issues. As per Romano, the Catalans have agreed on a €65 million guaranteed fee with United, while negotiations over €20 million in add-ons are ongoing.

Clubs agreeing on a fee is only part of the story, as the transfer also needs to be blessed by the player himself. As per Romano, De Jong is reluctant to join the Red Devils as he still very much wants to continue at the Camp Nou.

Explaining the situation, the Italian told GiveMeSport:

“The player’s side is the real point because it’s true that Frenkie de Jong wants to stay at Barcelona, so let’s see how the negotiations on the personal terms will go. This is the really key point for Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United – the personal terms.”

Since his move from Ajax in 2019, De Jong has featured in 140 games for Barca, scoring 13 goals and providing 16 assists. His €192,000 per-week contract runs until June 2026.

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Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets’ departure could complicate matters further for Manchester United

Thanks to the evergreen Sergio Busquets, De Jong has had a hard time playing in his favored position at the Camp Nou.

If the Spaniard does leave the club after the 2022-23 campaign as Mundo Deportivo anticipates, it could make Manchester United’s pursuit of De Jong all the more difficult.

United are supposedly far from agreeing on personal terms with De Jong, with the player wanting to remain in Catalonia for the time being.

The prospect of replacing the great Busquets at Barcelona could bolster his resolve, causing United to either give him a more lucrative contract or give up chasing him.

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