Why Manchester United are frustrated amid Frenkie de Jong transfer saga

Manchester United’s frustration with Barcelona over the failure to resolve their financial issues and subsequently delay a deal for Frenkie de Jong, is growing further and further as the new Premier League season approaches.

The two clubs have been locked in negotiations since the start of the summer transfer window, with Frenkie de Jong emerging as Manchester United’s primary summer target at the request of new manager, Erik ten Hag.

These negotiations have repeatedly been stalled however due to Barcelona’s inability to stabilise their finances in accordance with La Liga regulations and failure to make the payment of deferred wages to their current playing squad.

It has been reported by Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News that the frustration at Old Trafford over Barcelona’s conduct is growing, as well as with a portrayal in some media outlets that United themselves are the dysfunctional club in the negotiations.

There is alleged bafflement at the club that they themselves have come under fire for the stall in the deal, despite the source of the problem being a failure to agree upon the payment of deferred wages between De Jong himself and Barcelona. 

Barcelona allegedly owe De Jong over £14m in unpaid wages, with the midfielder adamant that he won’t leave the Spanish club until this amount has been repaid in full.

The issue of the unpaid wages will have no doubt been exacerbated by Barcelona’s high profile activity in the transfer market, where they have brought in the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen and Jules Kounde.

The arrival of several high profile players further highlights Barcelona’s lack of competency in effectively managing their finances, with new signings prioritised over the repayment of their current playing squad.

There is little United can do to further progress the deal while Barcelona are unwilling to adequately meet their contractual agreements with their players, further adding to their frustration with the portrayal that they are the source of the deal’s incompletion.

A combination of a lack of Champions League football at United and the unresolved financial issues at his current club mean De Jong is currently reluctant to make the move to Old Trafford, with both factors together representing too much of a loss for the Dutchman currently.

This could see the deal hijacked in the coming days, with Chelsea reported to be heavily interested in the midfielder and a potential move to Stamford Bridge.

While his preference would still be to remain at the Camp Nou, De Jong could be swayed into a move to Chelsea over Manchester United due to their ability to offer him Champions League football.

Losing out on the 25 year-old in such a manner would be a huge blow to United in both a tactical sense and in terms of their reputation.

Erik ten Hag will have been planning to build a team around his former starboy, having gotten the most out of De Jong at Ajax.

It remains to be seen how this situation plays out, with an agreement between Barcelona and De Jong over his wages potentially freeing him up for a move to Manchester.

This looks unlikely for the meantime however, with the Premier League set to begin on Friday.

Manchester United host Brighton at Old Trafford at 14:00 BST, with a good result here overshadowing the lack of movement in the De Jong deal for at least a number of days.