Manchester United have long been linked with Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong and they have now received a boost, with reports claiming Paris Saint-Germain are no longer interested in signing him.
Barcelona's financial struggles mean they are expected to offload some of their top stars this summer and De Jong could be among them. The midfielder has made 29 appearances for Barcelona so far this season and reports from Spain have detailed plenty of interest in his services.
According to Sport, PSG and Bayern Munich are huge admirers of De Jong. However, the report states that PSG have already abandoned the idea of trying to sign the Dutchman this summer as they are 'immersed in a deep battle to clean up its accounts' so they can comply with UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules.
Kylian Mbappe's departure will help free up plenty of cash and the report adds that PSG are focused on signing Napoli star Victor Osimhen to replace him and will therefore be unable to meet Barcelona's asking price of at least €80million (£69m).
As a result, Bayern have now 'come into play' as a potential option for De Jong as the German giants look to rebuild after missing out on the Bundesliga title to Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen for the first time since 2012.
United could also enter the race, having held a longstanding interest in De Jong dating back to Erik ten Hag's first summer in charge. The Red Devils felt a deal was almost done, but De Jong ultimately rejected a move to Old Trafford as he wanted to remain in Spain.
"Manchester United already spoke with Barcelona [in 2022] despite the fact that I wanted to stay here," De Jong told NOS last year when asked why the move to Old Trafford did not materialise.
"The club was in a difficult situation. They were able to sell me for a big fee, and they wanted to do this, but I did not want to leave so I stayed. If everything goes well for me and for the club, then I want to stay here for as long as possible.
"I have won the league here so now there is just one thing left for me to win this season, and that's the Nations League [with the Netherlands]. It's not the Euros or a World Cup, but I think it would be a nice sign if we manage to win it."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.