The negotiations between Manchester United and Barcelona for Dutch midfielder are well-publicised at this point, but the ending seems far from clear.
De Jong, currently on holiday in the USA, is still to be convinced about the merits of a move to Manchester. Working in their favour is his former manager Erik ten Hag, who de Jong trusts and can be assured knows how to get the best out of him.
The Guardian say that a fee with Barcelona has already been agreed for €65m, although this seems much lower than many other reports. De Jong’s great doubt about moving to United, apart from being content in Barcelona, is that he wants Champions League football.
According to the same report, Chelsea are following the situation closely. Thomas Tuchel’s side could offer de Jong Champions League football and possibly a shot at the Premier League title too. Should negotiations break down, then Chelsea may move for de Jong.
From Barcelona’s point of view, an extra suitor is ideal. The pressure that Chelsea could exert will force United to move quicker and potentially invest more money to get ten Hag’s number one choice. Equally, if a bidding war were to start it could drive up de Jong’s price.
