Barcelona fans were reportedly heard telling Frenkie de Jong to "lower your salary, b*tch" as he arrived at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper training facility on Wednesday.
The Dutch midfielder has been heavily linked with a move this summer.
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Manchester United and Chelsea continue to circle around a possible deal. In fact, United are believed to have had a bid accepted for the player, but the Netherlands international is yet to agree to the move.
Why? Well, the £17 million owed by Barcelona in deferred salary payments is thought to be a major reason for his reluctance to leave the Nou Camp.
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De Jong himself has so far been reluctant to discuss a move away but recent reports suggest he is 'extremely angry' with the club.
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The 25-year-old feels he is a victim of a planned media slander campaign after the Catalan club threatened legal action over his contract.
In a report from The Athletic, it was suggested that Barcelona have written to De Jong to claim they have found evidence of criminal actions on behalf of the parties who signed his contract renewal on October 20, 2020.
The Dutchman agreed to a two-year extension until 2026 that reduced his salary for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons to help alleviate Barcelona's financial troubles.
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And with those deferred payments continuing to cause issues, De Jong has suffered 'serious insults' at the hands of fans, who were shouting at the player as he arrived into training on Wednesday.
Footage was soon posted online by Spanish publication Diario SPORT.
Chelsea are also interested in bringing former Ajax midfielder De Jong to the Premier League and on Wednesday, it was reported that the Blues are 'very close' to signing the Dutchman for £67.6 million.
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Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, meanwhile, said it will be "embarrassing" if De Jong joins Chelsea instead of his former club.
"If they [United] don’t get him [De Jong], it’s embarrassing but if he goes to Chelsea, it’s horrific," he told Football Daily.
"If he doesn’t want to come the deal would have been switched off a few weeks ago. Because of the relationship the player has with the manager, there must be some communication between them that’s saying, 'wait for me I’m coming'."
Thoughts on the De Jong saga?
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Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: Diario SportTopics: Frenkie De Jong, Barcelona, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Chelsea, Manchester United, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours
