The agonising transfer saga of Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United could see its completion before the end of next week, according to a new report.
United's interest in the talented midfielder has been known for a month and a half now.
It was the night of the club's FA Youth Cup victory when reports from Spain suggested that a deal for the Dutch midfielder to the English club had a 95 per cent chance of completion.
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Of course, since then, we all know there have been major complications in regard to a potential agreement.
Convincing the player, who is known to love the Catalan club, was one hurdle that United overcame with the charm of Erik ten Hag, who has made De Jong the clear priority.
Agreeing a fee is the ongoing complication between the two clubs.
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However, the latest reports suggest that this tug of war is finally going to end.
Jonathan Northcroft of The Times says that the Reds are closing in on the signing of De Jong, with United prepared to increase their offer to around €80 million.
This is after two previous offers of €60 million and €70 million, both were rejected by Barcelona.
However, the next proposed payment would see the Spanish club recoup the majority of the fee they paid for the player when they signed him from Ajax in 2019.
Although Barca were hoping to hold out for a fee of €85 million, they are keen to complete the transfer before Thursday, which is the date when the club close their accounts.
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An agreement at the €80 million price point would also involve a lower initial payment from United, with achievable add-ons which are likely to be spread across several seasons.
De Jong's signing would be a huge boost to Ten Hag, who rates his former midfielder very highly.
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The 25-year-old was a key component of the United manager's successful Ajax side of 2019.
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It is also said in the aforementioned report that United's transfer action is expected to finally kick into gear with a series of additions following the signing of the Netherlands midfielder.
United will begin their pre-season camp on the 27 June, but they will not depart to Thailand until 8 July.
Fans will hope that there will be at least two new signings for the club to introduce whilst they prepare for the beginning of the Premier League season when they face Liverpool in their first friendly fixture on 12 July.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Transfers, Erik Ten Hag, Barcelona, Frenkie De Jong, Football, Premier League