No wonder they’re broke.
Manchester United’s pursuit of Frenkie de Jong has stalled due to the extortionate amount of money Barcelona owe the Dutch international.
Joan Laporta has continuously reiterated that De Jong is not for sale however United reportedly agreed a deal with the Catalan giants last week that would see them pay £55m upfront, with a further £17m in add-ons.
Barcelona owe De Jong a substantial amount of money.
But The Telegraph and Spanish publication Sport have reported that any chances of securing the deal sooner rather than later have been delayed by deferred wages and bonuses the midfielder is owed from Barcelona after he agreed to take a temporary pay cut to help the club stay afloat.
De Jong’s initial salary was worth £12m a year before he reduced it to £9m in the 2020/21 season and took a further pay cut last year, earning £4.3m. As a result, Barcelona owe the Dutchman £13.7m in basic wages and a further £3.4m in bonuses after matching clauses in his contract.
The wait to see if Barca will pay up the £17m required has left Erik ten Hag concerned he may not land his number one target before the start of the season. According to Marca, De Jong is owed a potential €88m by Barcelona for the remainder of his contract, which is due to run until 2025.
The Red Devils have started to make moves in the transfer market.
Man United have made one signing already this summer, bringing in Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord for a fee of £13m, while Christian Eriksen has agreed to join on a three-year deal.
Eriksen still needs to undergo a medical before official confirmation and is facing a race against time to be ready for United’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia.
Lisandro Martinez of Ajax – Ten Hag’s former club – is also on United’s radar, but they face competition from Arsenal for his signature.
