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Barcelona have asked Frenkie de Jong to lower his salary by half if he wants to remain at the club as Manchester United wait on his decision.
The Red Devils have reached an €85 million agreement with the Blaugrana for the Dutchman's services, which includes €75 million in fees and €10 million in add-ons. However, they're yet to agree terms with the player.
New United manager Erik ten Hag is keen to reunite with his former Ajax player at Old Trafford, and De Jong has been his numero uno target for some time now. However, the midfielder wants to stay on at the Camp Nou, but Barcelona want him to take a significant pay cut for that.
Spanish news outlet AS (via Metro) has reported that Xavi had a discussion with the Dutchman recently. There, he conveyed that De Jong must accept a huge pay cut to remain at the club.
Barcelona are in poor financial shape right now and want to sell De Jong, as it would help them ease their wage bill, but the club owe him €17 million in deferred wages.
President Joan Laporta has maintained that De Jong is not for sale and they have turned down offers for him, but the Blaugrana want the player to slash his salary by half first. The 25-year-old currently takes home €10 million a year, which is unsustainable for the club right now as they aim to reduce their wage bill.
It's also been reported that Xavi has told De Jong he's willing to give him more playing time in other positions such as central defence, where he has been deployed for the past two pre-season games.
Should De Jong snub a move to Old Trafford, Manchester United are likely to consider Leicester City's Youri Tielemans as an alternative.
Barcelona's rebuild in full swing
The Blaugrana have made a slew of marquee signings this summer and have looked promising on their pre-season tour as well.
In their US trip so far, Xavi's team beat Inter Miami 6-0 before a 1-0 win over El Clasico rivals Real Madrid. New arrivals are showing signs of settling in, with Raphinha scoring in both games and Robert Lewandowski making a promising debut in the Clasico.
Following a disastrous last few years, compounded by a financial crisis, Barcelona are looking to return to glory days next season, and the early signs look promising.
