Manchester United are still keen on bringing Frenkie de Jong to Old Trafford - but have warned Barcelona that they are not willing blow their summer budget on a deal for the Dutchman, according to a new report. The 25-year-old previously worked with United's new boss, Erik ten Hag, at Ajax.
While De Jong has been identified as one of Ten Hag's primary summer transfer targets, United have made it clear to Barcelona that they are unwilling to meet their £70million valuation of the midfielder, according to a new report from The Daily Mail.
While a compromise between the two sides is currently 'some way off', it remains to be seen if Barcelona will lower their demands in the coming weeks. Club president Joan Laporta has already admitted that he may have little choice but to offload some stars to try and help the club's ongoing financial issues.
Ten Hag has a monumental rebuilding job ahead of him in Manchester, with the Dutchman set to oversee a major cull of United's underperforming playing squad. It's expected that up to 10 players could leave, with Ten Hag also under pressure to address some major issues in defence and midfield.
Frenkie de Jong has emerged as a transfer target for Manchester United (Image: GETTY)
The new Man United boss is set to have a limited budget to work with, making it impossible for United to spend such a sizeable chunk on one player. Barcelona are looking to recoup the £65m sum that they forked out to Ajax in the summer of 2019 to bring De Jong to the Nou Camp.
However, United could still struggle to lure De Jong to Old Trafford even if a price can be agreed - with the report claiming that the midfield star would prefer to stay at Barcelona. It is believed that De Jong would favour a move to a club who can offer Champions League football if he is forced out of the Nou Camp.
If a deal cannot be struck, then Ten Hag will be forced to revise his summer plans. The 52-year-old has prioritised signing a central midfielder and a striker in the summer, with Darwin Nunez earmarked as a potential target after his stunning season with Benfica.
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De Jong worked with Erik ten Hag at Ajax (Image: GETTY)
Ten Hag could also raid his old club, Ajax, in a bid to solve United's defensive woes. United have the worst defensive record in the top-half of the league and have conceded more goals than they have in any other season in the Premier League era.
The same report outlines that Jurrien Timber and Lisandro Martinez have been earmarked as potential new arrivals. Both have impressed under Ten Hag in Amsterdam this season.
United are expected to lose a number of squad players this summer, with the likes of Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata and Edinson Cavani set to depart. Club-record flop Paul Pogba is also poised to quit the club for a second time this summer, with Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain reportedly locked in a scrap for his signature.
